A Life Unplanned
by savannavansmutsmut
Summary: Bella was doing fine raising her son on her own. That was, until her mother convinced her that her son should have a sibling. Not wanting her kids to have different fathers and look like a slut, she tracks down Edward Cullen, man-whore extraordinaire and father of her son, unbeknownst to him. It's been a few years, and Edward has changed a lot, or has he...
1. Chapter 1

**This is only sort of beta'd. Dollybigmomma did a once over a long time ago, she also wrote the opening paragraph. **

**Chapter 1 – On Ideas, Good and Bad**

I'd once heard someone say that the fastest way to make God laugh was to tell him your plans. With all the doom and gloom in the world, the Man upstairs could probably have done with a good giggle, but I was no comedian and figured He always knew best...too bad I didn't.

I'd had a few ideas for how I wanted my life to go, but I hadn't counted on this. I'd never thought I would be a single mom, but here I was, twenty-four, unmarried, and my son was turning two. One rowdy night during a drunken house party my last semester of college had been enough to make him. I'd never bothered telling his sperm donor, because there had been no affection between us, just lust. I'd later learned he had a reputation. The more I learned, the more I knew he wasn't someone I wanted my child around.

It took a while to come to that conclusion. I had nearly called him a hundred times. The one time I did call him, I doubted he'd actually answered on purpose, because the sound of some girl moaning his name made it clear he was busy. In my highly emotional state, I was both hurt and angry. I finally had gone to the campus clinic after fighting with myself for three days about the accuracy of a home pregnancy test. Turned out he had given me more than a baby. Thankfully, the STD was treatable and was caught before it could do any permanent damage. It was also the final deciding factor in not telling him about his impending fatherhood.

I was fortunate to still be covered by my parents' insurance, since I was on my own with no job. I graduated college, but I didn't attend the ceremony, because my morning sickness had been particularly wicked that day...who was I kidding, it had been particularly wicked that whole week. I made it through the rest of my pregnancy alone, and my son came two days after Valentine's Day.

My parents were kind enough to let me stay with them that first summer while I recuperated. In that time, they became irrefutably attached to my little boy. I think my father had always wanted a son, but it just wasn't in the cards for my parents. My mother had only been fifteen when I was born, and my complicated birth had badly damaged her reproductive organs. I was going to be put up for adoption, but when her and my dad, who had been sixteen at the time, found out that she would never be able to have another baby, they decided to keep me and get married, since they really did love each other.

With lots of help from their parents, my mother obtained her GED. My father finished high school a year early and attended a trade school. My mother loved that my father was a plumber. She made all sorts of mentally-scarring jokes about it. Thankfully, when little Tyler started to talk, they stopped it.

I was able to get a job and an apartment just up the street from my parents. My mother still insisted that she babysit little Tyler, which gave me peace of mind and a break financially.

Actually, what I should have said was that my mother gave me a piece of her mind, and a break financially.

Before she and my father had consummated their relationship at such a young age, they had made plans to marry and attend college together. They had planned on having their first baby the spring after graduation, just like I had. It was to be timed so my mother could finish college before I was born. Because I had done this, accidentally mind you, my mother somehow believed that I should take up her plan of having another baby close in age to the first. The problem was I didn't have a husband with a good job, so that I could stay home and care for my children.

Of course, that didn't stop the facts that she would shoot at me from running around in my head. I did work as a receptionist at a pediatrician's office. I saw all the things kids did when their parents' backs were turned while they checked in. It was true; kids who were older tended to resent the much younger ones, and the younger ones seemed to always be looking for ways to get the older ones in trouble. But the kids who were close in age tended to sit down and play together peacefully. I wanted peace.

Tyler's birthday was bigger than I expected. My parents took the lead on it and invited everyone from his play group. He and his little buddies ran around, while the parents stood to the side watching the chaos unfold. The party was on a Saturday, so a lot of dads were in attendance, chatting with their arms around their wives.

My mother came past me with a big grin on her face. "I love having so many children underfoot. You know, I've always wanted a big family. I couldn't have lots of children, but you can. You should find a nice man and have a few more kids. You know Tyler would be better well-rounded with siblings hanging around. You need to put yourself out there to have a chance at expanding your family. There's more to life than just working, honey."

"I know, Mom."

"I just feel like you're not trying. There's a whole city of eligible men out there who'd be happy to date you. Guys like families, too. You'll see, they'll see how sweet little Tyler is and want to make one of their own."

"I really don't have much time to date, Mom."

"Nonsense, you find yourself a man, I'll babysit, and you can baby-make."

I heard my father chuckle, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry about her, kiddo. You do what's right for you. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

"Thanks, Dad."

After some great debate, I decided maybe having one more kid wouldn't be so bad. I could get my baby making done young and get it over with. I had all the baby stuff already. I had good health insurance. The problem was I didn't have a man to knock me up. I considered my options, and after a lot of thought, I realized that I would seem like a stupid slut to some people if I had one kid with one man, another with some other guy, and if I ever met Mr. Right, well, we would probably have one more kid. So, I would have three kids with three different fathers. Yeah, I would likely be seen as one of those idiot sluts who needed Jerry Springer to help her find her baby daddies.

I did some more deep thinking on the matter and decided that maybe I should look up the asshole who had knocked me up the first time. If he was still single and a manwhore, it would probably be easy to get him into bed again, and then my kids would be full siblings, with the added benefit of having the chance of sharing more physical traits. If I met Mr. Right someday, I could just tell him that their father and I weren't involved anymore. It would seem like I had been in a committed relationship with my supposed "ex", because it would have spanned enough time to produce two children, sounding very un-slutty. Yeah, I could totally pull that off. Now I just needed to track down that Cullen douche and get him tested for STDs, because I wasn't doing that again.

Once I got on the Facebook link for our college, I started to get worried. So many of the people I had known had ended up all over the country. I obviously couldn't just up and fly somewhere to get knocked up. Imagine my relief to find he was doing his residency in a small town just south of Seattle. I put in a friend request and was surprised when instead of receiving an acceptance; I received a note asking who I was.

Great, I was glad I was so memorable…

I replied, telling him that we had gone to college together, and that I thought we'd had a biology class together. I was pretty sure it had been a biology class that I had almost stopped him in front of. That was when I had still been considering telling him about my pregnancy.

His reply was three words.

"_**Did we fuck?"**_

Classy. I thought about telling him yes, but realized there were probably a slew of bitter and angry women after him. I decided not to answer yes or no, but to play the appalled card.

"_**What?!"**_

His reply was quick.

"_**Sorry, what did you need?"**_

I had to rack my brain to come up with some reason to contact him. I decided to go with something work-related that had to do with our biology class. That would hopefully seem unthreatening enough to allow him to meet with me. I asked him if he still had his notes and drawings of the intestinal tract, saying that the picture I had drawn wasn't all that accurate, and I was looking for a better one to explain an issue to my friend.

It seemed legit.

His response was to tell my friend to see a doctor.

I wanted to virtually flip that bastard off. It took me a few minutes to come up with a reply.

"_**She's an herbalist and believes doctors are evil." **_

My mom actually studied herbs and wasn't fond of doctors, so it was sort of true. I could show her the diagram to make it true.

"_**Fine, what's your address? I'll mail it to you."**_

I was ready for that.

"_**I don't give men I barely know my address. Do you mind meeting in a public place?"**_

It was two days later that I finally got a reply.

"_**Fine, I'll be staying overnight in Seattle on Friday. I can meet you at the Pincher Bar on First Street at 7:00 p.m."**_

I had to look it up. I honestly didn't drink anymore after that frat party, where I had gotten knocked up because of a faulty condom. I was too busy being a mom to party anymore.

I did my best not to look like a slut, but still come off as sexy. I wore my best work clothes, and I had freshened up my makeup and let my hair down. I wasn't unattractive, but being a tiny brunette, I wasn't a blonde bombshell supermodel, either. I figured I'd get him drunk, and then we'd go back to his hotel. I was lucky that his request lined up with my ovulation schedule, and according to the tests I'd taken, I was nearing ovulation. He would be a day or two early, but hopefully I would get pregnant, anyway. Sperm could live up to six days inside a woman's body, after all.

I was standing on the sidewalk in front of the address I was supposed to go to, certain I was lost. I had been walking back and forth, looking repeatedly between the buildings and the map pages I had printed out, when I was finally asked if I needed some help by a huge man with dimples. I took two steps back from him. "I have pepper spray."

"Good for you. You look lost, do you need help?" he asked again.

I looked up and down the street that was littered with clubs and bars. "I'm looking for something called the Pincher Bar. I found it on Google, but this map says it's supposed to be here," I pointed to a building that looked condemned. "I'm not familiar with this part of town or these kinds of establishments. Do you know if it relocated?" I was going to be late for my meeting, damn it.

"No, that map is right, it's in there," he nodded with his head toward the shabby building.

"You'd better not be trying something funny," I warned gripping my keys with my pepper spray.

He just let out a chuckle. "Let me get the door for you."

He opened it, the sound of loud music escaping, and when I peeked past him, I could see a long bar with a bartender serving drinks. I let out a relieved breath. I wasn't going to be late. "Thank you," I nodded. He laughed at me and followed me inside.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I'm supposed to meet someone here," I smiled, doing my best not to be bitchy. It had been a long time since I had flirted or tried to be charming. It was obvious by my exchange with Dimples that I was rusty. I just hoped Edward Cullen was still a manwhore and easy to seduce.


	2. Chapter 2

**Only sort of beta'd again. I hope you guys enjoy this. Edward is going to give you a bad impression of himself in this chapter, but there is a lot more to his character than shows here. Please stick with me. **

**I don't have an update schedule, but I will update at least once a week if not more often. I have no idea how long this story will be. I have 9 chapters I'm going over right now. I'll post them when they're ready.**

**Chapter 2- The Pick Up**

**BPOV**

I walked into the bar and scoped out the room. It didn't take long for me to find my target sitting in the far corner, looking as if he was hiding. I walked over and slid into the booth across from him. He eyed me suspiciously. "Are you Isabella Swan?" he asked shortly.

I nodded yes, surprised by his temper.

His eyes fell to the map pages in my hands. "What are those? Did you bring me some kind of papers?" he sat forward scowling. I really didn't anticipate him being such an asshole.

"No, it's my map and directions. I don't hang out around this part of town." I pushed them in front of him so he could see them, all the while rethinking this whole fuck-and-run idea with him. It suddenly seemed like a bad idea. The dimpled guy had been cute. I would bet he'd make nice babies.

The asshole in front of me sat up a little straighter.

"Do you have the notes?" I asked reminding him of the reason I had come.

He looked left and right and then leaned over the table. "No."

I was confused. "Then why did you meet with me?"

"We didn't have biology together."

"I don't understand."

"What's the real reason you asked me here?" he pushed.

This wasn't going like I'd planned. "I should go." I started to get up to leave, when he grabbed my arm. My eyes shot to Dimples, who had been watching our exchange. He was frowning at the asshole I was with. I tugged my arm, trying to get loose, but he would not relent. I started to dig for my pepper spray, and just as I pulled it out, Dimples grabbed my hand, holding it so I couldn't press the nozzle. "That shouldn't be sprayed indoors." He glared down at Edward. "You need to let the lady go."

Edward looked surprised, but he released me. I quickly rushed to the exit, and I was surprised when Dimples pushed the door open for me. "Would you like me to walk you to your car?" He looked sincerely worried.

I glanced up and down the street, it was getting dark out, and I'd had to park three blocks away. "I hate to put you out."

"You're not."

I nodded. "Thank you, I'd really appreciate it."

"So, the guy you were meeting turned out to be an asshole, huh?"

I laughed blackly. "Yeah, I was stupid for meeting with him. Thank you for stepping in," I smiled up at him. Yeah, I wouldn't mind a kid with his dimples.

"Where do you know him from?"

"We went to school together. He was a bit of an ass then, had a reputation. I should've known better than to contact him."

"Why did you?"

I shook my head, not wanting to answer. "Personal reasons, but it doesn't matter now. Thank you for walking me to my car." My eye caught a group of rowdy drunk guys stumbling down the sidewalk, eyeing me as they passed and making me shudder. I was glad I had accepted Dimples' offer now.

"Anytime, I'm Emmett, by the way."

"It was very nice to meet you, I'm Bella."

"Bella," he repeated with a dimpled smile, causing me to blush. "Could we maybe exchange phone numbers?"

I was a little shocked, but I nodded yes, pulling out my cell phone. My background was a picture of Tyler covered in mac and cheese. He looked adorable with his hair standing on end. Emmett would see the picture of him. It was probably best that he knew I had a kid now, before he called, or didn't call.

I handed him my phone. "Go ahead and enter yours, and then call yourself from my phone."

He did as I suggested, grinning widely when he saw the picture. "Cute kid, is he yours?"

"Yes, he is."

"I can't help but notice he looks an awful lot like the asshole in the bar." My smile dropped. "Is he involved?" he pushed.

"No, he's not, and it's best to keep it that way. I don't want my son to grow up to be an asshole, too." I snatched my phone back. "It was very nice meeting you," I dismissed him, hopping into my car. I nearly ran him over, as I shot out of the parking lot. I guessed Dimples wouldn't be the father of my baby, and I was bummed that I had wasted a perfectly good Friday night.

Saturday afternoon, I received a text from Dimples, or Emmett, asking me to meet him at Pinchers Bar again. I thought he had to be out of his mind, because I definitely came off as crazy, but I agreed. He knew I had a kid and was very kind. There was no reason to say no to him.

I texted back okay, and he sent me a happy face. They should have made one with dimples just for him. I hadn't told my mother what I had been doing last night, just that I had something I needed to pick up. It wasn't a lie. I wanted to pick up a load of sperm, with my vagina.

Tonight, though, I told her that I was meeting a guy I'd met when I had been out yesterday. She grilled me for details, but I honestly didn't know much about Dimples, just that he seemed like a nice guy and didn't freak out about me having a kid.

I arrived a little early, hoping to find a good parking spot closer to the bar this time. When I walked in, Dimples was there, but he didn't notice me right away. I understood why. There was a large-busted blonde smiling at him. She was gorgeous from what I could make out, dressed up to the nines, her blonde hair sweeping partially across her face in a trendy style. She pulled him down a hallway, and when I peeked around the corner, I saw her losing her shirt, while closing the office door. If he bothered to come out for our date, I would let him know I couldn't stay and promptly block his phone number.

I ordered a soda and sat at the bar. If I leaned to the side, like I was feeling a little lazy, I could see the office door. I figured I'd watch it and let him know he was busted as soon as he stepped out of it. Fifteen minutes after our agreed-upon time, he finally came out, running his fingers through his hair and double-checked his zipper. Yup, there was no questioning what he'd been doing. I gave him my best "I know what you were doing" grin, waving a few fingers at him.

His eyes widened, and he quickly turned back to the door, but the blonde was already walking out. I just slipped off the stool after that and headed for the exit. I was shocked by his audacity, when he grabbed my shoulder, trying to stop me from leaving. "I know you said I shouldn't spray my pepper spray indoors, but I'm not above doing it," I warned.

"Hold on," he let go, raising his hands up like I had him at gunpoint, "Let me explain what's going on."

I shook my head no. "I really don't have time for this, Emmett. Thank you for, well…nothing." I turned and started for the door again. I saw him reach for me, but I lifted my pepper spray container, causing him to take a step back.

I wasn't three steps out the door, when another man grabbed me. I was ready to fight back, but then I realized it was Edward. "You want money from me! You want to ruin me," he slurred.

"No, I don't. I don't want anything from you," I pulled away from him.

"You do, they all do! They all want to ruin me, those crazy bitches. They're getting nothing!" he slurred as he swayed.

I just shook my head at him. He was obviously drunk. I hurried away to the parking lot and had just reached my car, when I saw Edward pull out some keys, ready to open a car door. "Oh, HELL no!" I shouted at him. He turned around, looking confused. He finally spotted me, as I stormed toward him. "You are _not_ driving! You're drunk!"

"I'm just buzzed."

I shoved him, and he stumbled into his car. He would have fallen on his ass if it hadn't been there. "You shouldn't be falling over when I push on you."

"You hit me!"

"I did not. Go on, give me a little shove and see if I'm sober."

He went to shove me, but I stepped out of the way. He nearly fell on his face. "Hey!" he pointed at me.

I snatched the keys from his hand. "Get in the damn car, and tell me where you're going." He folded his arms and looked just like his son on the verge of a tantrum. "I'm not giving in on this one. You get in this car right now, young man!" I ordered in my sternest mommy voice.

I was amazed when he actually conceded and climbed into the passenger side of the car, pouting pitifully.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. He dug around in his pockets and then handed me a hotel key to the Kingston Inn.

I pulled next to the entrance, where he hopped out of the car and staggered in, leaving me in his car, with his keys and his hotel room card. I parked and hurried in, hoping to find him before he got too far. Of course, this wasn't an issue, as he was fighting with hotel security about the elevator. You had to use your key card, and it would only let you off on the floor your room was on. I showed his key to the guard. "I've got him. Sorry, he got away from me."

The guard left in a huff, as I started the elevator.

"I like your boobs," Edward suddenly blurted out. His bloodshot eyes were focused on them.

I chuckled, causing them to jiggle, making him smile. Maybe I could still get what I wanted from this guy.

"Do you want to touch them?" I asked.

His eyes snapped to mine. I was sure he was wondering if he'd heard me right. I stepped closer and moved his hand from his side to my breast, where he gave it a tender squeeze, then ran his thumb over my nipple.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. I looked at the card for the room number and then led him down the hall. His other hand was on my ass, rubbing then squeezing every few steps. This was a huge change from his woman-hating ways back at the bar.

I pulled him into the room, and once the door was shut, all bets were off. Well, at least our clothes were. He donned a condom, and we got busy. His fucking was lackluster, but I figured it was because he was drunk. He woke me up around two o'clock in the morning with some odd unsatisfying foreplay that felt more like a vaginal exam and then fucked me again with much more vigor, without a condom. It was pretty early in the morning when he went for round three. My back was to him, so I wondered if he even remembered who I was when he slipped in. He bit my shoulder when he came and fell back panting. He didn't lay their long, before he slipped out of the bed to shower.

I lay there, letting his baby-making juice simmer and kept my head turned away from the bathroom door. I listened to him for a while, but after a good fifteen minutes of just waiting, I decided to sneak out. I found my purse on the floor by the bathroom door kicked over, with the contents spilled out next to it. My old birth control pills were lying amongst the mess. I had stopped taking them a couple of months ago, hoping to find this asshole and make another kid. He must have seen the pills, because he hadn't bothered to use a condom after the first time. I was definitely getting tested for STDs again, though.

I dug out a little pack of wipes that I usually kept on hand and cleaned myself up. I had just opened the door to leave, when he stepped out of the bathroom.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but I wasn't going to stick around to find out what it was. I quickly walked out the door without a word, pulling it shut behind me. I'd gotten what I wanted, and hopefully, it would be enough to do the job.

I immediately un-friended him and blocked him on Facebook. I didn't need to hear any more of his random acidic ranting. He was an even bigger asshole than I remembered. I only received one text from Emmett, before I remembered to block his number, too. I didn't need another sleazy man in my life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Several people were appalled that Bella kept her son from Edward. There was a good reason why she did, and it comes out in this chapter. Again, Edward is a jerk, but there is still more to him. We'll get to know him better in later chapters. **

**Dollybigmomma did a once over on this as well.**

**Chapter 3 – On Timing, Good and Bad**

I knew I had planned to get pregnant, but when the test came back positive, I freaked out a little. At least I didn't catch an STD this time. I was contemplating on how to break the news to my parents, as I went to pick up Tyler. When I opened the door, my mother was chatting on the phone. I was about to sneak out, ready to use it as an excuse to put it off for another day, but she stopped me.

"You know, Isabella, I just got off the phone with my friend, Esme…"

"Who's Esme?"

"I met her at a yoga retreat last month."

"When did you go to a yoga retreat?"

"It was just for the weekend, honey. You're getting off topic. She has two boys…"

"No!" I said firmly.

"I wasn't..."

"I'm pregnant, Mom. I'm not going to get involved with anyone while I'm pregnant."

"You're…?" she looked confused. "How did that happen?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "Wait! Was it that guy…Dimples?"

Sure, we could go with that. "You said I should have another baby, and well, I'm having one." I didn't confirm or deny anything. I picked up Tyler, slipping out the door.

"I meant you should date and find a man to marry, so you could have another one! We're not done discussing this, young lady!" she hollered after me.

"Talking won't change it, Mom."

"Bye-bye!" Tyler called to her.

If I didn't have to use her for babysitting, I would've avoided her like the plague. Instead, I just ran late, that way I wouldn't have time to talk, and she knew it.

Eventually, it became a moot point. I was very pregnant, and there was no changing it. She told my father, and he was worried about me, but he was happy for the new addition as well. I was four months pregnant and showing a lot more than I thought I should have been. The doctor confirmed that there was only one baby in there, a little girl to be more precise. I was really starting to worry. I had planned on using all of Tyler's old baby things, as most were fine, but I really didn't want to dress my little girl in boy clothes.

"It's has to be the stress causing you to put on the extra weight," my mother fussed. "There's this weekly yoga retreat, it'd be good for you."

"What about Tyler?"

"Your dad was talking about taking him fishing this weekend. It'd be perfect."

I agreed reluctantly and joined my mother for a yoga class. I set my mat up in the back of the room. The yoga clothes did nothing to hide my sizeable baby bump. At least I looked pregnant and not fat, since it was all out in front.

"Esme, it's so good to see you again! I brought my daughter with me this time."

An older woman, who looked oddly familiar, pulled me into a hug. "It's so nice to meet you, Izzy."

I was going to kill my mother. She was the only one who got away with calling me Izzy. If Esme hadn't been so nice, I would have ripped her head off. Instead, I let it slide.

"I brought my daughter-in-law, Rose, with me today. She's seven months pregnant with her first baby. Your mom told me you might come along. I thought you'd like someone to commiserate with over being pregnant."

Rose also looked vaguely familiar. Her hair was pulled back into a high, tight bun, and she had on no makeup. Her baby bump was the same size as mine. That kind of pissed me off. She just gave me a stiff nod and settled onto a mat next to mine. Yoga wasn't really a chatty exercise, and I was honestly glad for that. I didn't want to talk about me looking like a whale next to her.

When we were done with the class, Rose told Esme that her husband was coming to pick her up, and that she was sorry she couldn't stay longer. I couldn't blame her. I wished I could slip out, but I had came with my mother.

I heard a familiar voice behind me calling to someone. "Hey, baby."

I turned around and my jaw dropped in shock. "Dimples?"

My mother heard what I had said and followed my line of sight. Her jaw dropped as well, but I wasn't sure why.

"He's your baby's father?" she nearly shouted.

"What?" I think me and three other voices asked.

"Isn't that the man you went out with four months ago?"

"I didn't know he was married, just that he was a sleaze ball!" I shouted back at my furious mother. "I'd never date a married man!"

"Emmett, what's going on here?" Esme asked.

Rose just punched him in the face. "How could you fuck her while I was pregnant?"

"Holy shit!" I shouted, so much for relaxing yoga. "Fuck me? No way, I didn't even let him buy me a drink. I saw him following some blonde, most likely you," I pointed to her hair, "into a back room on the night we were supposed to meet. Then I was out of there."

"I thought you said Dimples was the father?" my mother asked confused.

"I didn't say that. I never answered that question. You just assumed it was Dimples."

"You call me Dimples?" Emmett asked amused, rubbing his jaw.

I just rolled my eyes.

"Then who's the father, Bella?"

"I don't want to talk about this here."

"You don't want to talk about it ever!" my mother snapped.

We heard the door to the yoga room close and looked up. Everyone else had left, so it was just the five of us.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to upset you. My mother just likes to fill in blanks, and not always correctly."

"Don't blame this on me, Isabella. You're the one who leaves them. Just tell me who the father is. If it wasn't him, who was it, an alien?"

I laughed blackly. "Close."

"Isabella."

"It was Edward Cullen, alright. I met up with him again. He was drunk, and I wouldn't let him drive back to his hotel. He got handsy." Sort of, I had helped him get handsy, but they didn't need to know that part.

"Edward? Tyler's father, Edward Cullen?" my mother gasped.

"Yes, Mom, can we drop it now? You have nothing to worry about. No one is going to come looking for your grandbabies."

"Emmett!" Esme shrieked.

He looked just as freaked out as his mom. "What, Mom?"

"Get Edward on the phone this instant!" she shouted at him.

"How do you know Edward?" I asked confused.

"He's my goddamned troublemaking son!" she nearly growled.

She snatched the phone right out of Emmett's hand and stormed out of the room. She paced back and forth in front of the windows, flailing her arms as she screamed at Edward. She was really pissed.

"She's not telling him, is she?" my eyes widened in panic.

"Of course she is!" Rose snapped.

"No, no, no! We want nothing to do with him," I said backing away from them.

"Bella…" Emmett started walking forward.

"NO! Just leave me alone, leave us alone! You tell him to stay away. Better yet, tell him I'm a lying whore, and the babies aren't his."

"He saw the pictures of Tyler on Facebook," Emmett confessed. "He thought you were going to try and pin your son's paternity on him, but when you ran out, not saying anything..."

I shook my head no, trying to control my panic.

"You admitted to me, a complete stranger, that he was Tyler's dad. You can't say he's not. We can do a paternity test and prove he is."

"Damn it!" I screamed at my mom. "This is all your fault, you and your damn yoga can go to hell!" I turned to Emmett, "You tell that bastard to stay the hell away from me and my son!"

I ran out of the room and flagged down a cab, hopping in before it fully stopped. I made it back to my apartment, locking myself inside and praying they would leave me and my son alone.

It was no use, though.

I had just finished dressing, when the doorbell rang. I had ordered some food, and I was sure that was who it was. I had my money ready and asked, "How much do I owe you?" before looking up.

"Just an explanation, thanks," Edward snapped.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Esme stepped into view and shoved him through the doorway.

"What kind of shit are you trying to pull? You yank people around, fuck with their families?" he shouted at me.

"Edward!" his mother scolded. He stepped back, taking a deep breath.

"Is your son home?" Esme asked smiling.

"No, he's fishing with his grandpa. He'll be back in the morning," I answered her, not taking my eyes off Edward. He just scoffed.

"Well, I suppose it's for the best right now," she nodded.

"How do we know this kid even exists, that she didn't Photoshop him?"

"Edward!"

He picked up a picture of Tyler, scowling. "Did you get my baby pictures and fuck with them?"

"Enough!" Esme shouted and snatched the picture from his hand. "Sit down now!" she bit through gritted teeth.

He plopped on the couch like a petulant child.

The doorbell rang again, and I quickly answered it. I grabbed my food and brought it to the coffee table. "Please, excuse me. I'm starving, and I get sick if I don't eat."

"Go ahead, dear, I understand," Esme smiled kindly. "Do you need me to get you a drink to wash it down?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, could you grab a water bottle out of the fridge? The doctor is always getting on my case about staying hydrated."

"Of course, dear." As she passed Edward, she slapped the back of his head. "Keep your mouth shut."

I focused on my food, avoiding his stare. I could feel his eyes on me. He was obviously pissed. "What do you want from me?" he snarled at me, when he was sure his mother was out of earshot.

"Nothing, I want you to stay out of mine and my children's lives and leave us the hell alone."

"Then why did you contact me?"

"I obviously was acting like an idiot. Please, forget I exist, just like you did before."

His mother walked in, glaring at him hotly. She had to move a couple of little pink dresses off the couch so she could sit. "Do you know if you're having a girl, or are these wishful thinking?" she asked as she moved them.

"She's a girl. I think I'm rather lucky to be getting one of each," I shifted in my seat and took a drink.

"What Edward and I were hoping to hear is why you believe he's the father of your son and possibly this child as well."

"Yeah, do you always walk around with half-empty packets of birth control pills, or do you actually take them?" he spat.

"Edward, so help me, boy..." she glared hard at him, and he actually shrank back into the couch a little.

"Let's start with your son. The resemblance is uncanny, but just to be sure; we'd like to have him tested."

"No, that won't be necessary. I don't want anything from your family, so you don't have to worry about feeling obligated."

"Bella…"

"I didn't mean for him to find out about Tyler."

"Of course not," he scoffed. I would swear he was acting like a teenage girl. "Did you ever plan on telling me I had a supposed kid, or were you just waiting to spring it on me when you were tight on money?"

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "I was never going to tell you."

"Did you ever consider telling him, dear?" his mother asked sounding worried.

I laughed and shook my head. "Oh, I was going to tell him, but I decided it was best if I didn't."

"Well, why not?" he grouched.

"You really don't want me telling you in front of your mother."

"What, you want to put it off so you can come up with some bogus excuse?"

"I know my son, dear, go ahead."

"It wasn't that we weren't safe. The condom broke."

Edward folded his arms and looked the other way. His mother smiled and nodded, like I hadn't just said the word condom to her in reference to her son's dick.

"When I was late, I took a home test. Edward didn't know me very well, but I knew a few girls who knew him. I was just getting up the courage to ask him to come to the clinic with me, when he came out of the science building and bumped into me, knocking my books out of my hands. He said, 'Hey, watch it, bitch,' and moved along, obviously not recognizing me."

"I probably had a hangover."

"That's no excuse for..." Esme started.

"That wasn't the deciding factor," I cut into their argument. "Anyway, I spent the next day trying to get up the courage to call him. My friend, Kate, was dating his buddy, Jasper, and was able to get the number for me."

"Did Kate know you were pregnant?" Edward snapped.

"No."

"And she just gave it to you?" he asked with disbelief.

"Yes, she did. I told her that I'd lost one of my favorite earrings in your room, and she gave me your number, so I could ask you to look for it."

"So you lied."

"No, I decided to not worry about the earring. It was a gold knot stud, given to me by a close friend of mine. I was upset about losing it, but being pregnant kind of stole my focus," I nearly bit his head off.

"Edward, you need to keep your mouth shut," Esme gave him a pointed look and then smiled at me. "Go on, dear."

"I almost called him a hundred times, but when I finally worked up the courage to hit the send button, he didn't answer. Well, not on purpose. I just heard a girl moaning and whining out his name."

His mother closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I see."

"That wasn't the reason I didn't tell him, though. I'd seen him by the science building, and I thought if I just blurted it out, I could get it over and done with. When I saw Edward outside a classroom door, I thought it'd be perfect timing, but before I could take two steps toward him, he had his tongue down another girl's throat. I couldn't see me interrupting them to tell him I was pregnant going well. I finally went to the clinic alone, where they confirmed my pregnancy and told me I also tested positive for Chlamydia. Luckily, they were able to catch it fast enough, before it could do any permanent damage."

"You had Chlamydia?" he gasped as if disgusted.

"No, YOU had Chlamydia, and you gave it to me! That's why my case wasn't advanced."

"You could've gotten it from anyone."

"No, it was you. I'd only ever been with my ex-boyfriend, Jake, and I'd been tested after I'd broken up with him. That only left you."

"You're trying to pin a kid on me and now a disease, too?"

"Edward!" his mother actually raised her hand. She just held up one finger, and he shut his trap fast.

"I decided after that mess that I didn't want my son to know someone like him. I'd been angry when I'd made the initial decision, but I stuck with it after I heard how he'd treated another girl named Tanya."

His eyes widened for a moment, and then he quickly looked to his lap.

"Who's Tanya?" his mother asked looking at him.

He just shrugged a shoulder.

"She was a girl who hung out with him and his buddies. She ended up pregnant with his baby as well. He called her all sorts of horrible names, denying the baby was his. He finally insisted she get an abortion, which she did. She attempted suicide two months later."

"Edward?"

"You know this is all crap now, Mom. If she supposedly knew this shit, then why would she sleep with me?"

"I didn't know any of this at the time. I'd had my heart set on talking to Mike Newton, and I was upset when he hooked up with Jessica that night and left before I could, so I got drunk, and then I met you. I didn't realize who you were, until I left the next morning, and even then, I didn't know what a huge asshole you were, and still are, apparently," I shook my head. "I was so stupid."

"That's something we can both agree on," he quipped, and his mother yanked his ear hard, making him let out a girly squeak.

"Well, Bella, my dear, I can see why you kept your distance from my son. I'd really like to meet my grandchild, though."

"You don't even know if the kid's mine! She won't let you test it."

"I'd rather not have Tyler around him," I nodded toward Edward and stood up, taking my leftovers into the kitchen.

I heard a mumbled fight going on and decided to let them duke it out on their own. I rested my forehead on the cool fridge door, trying to calm myself.

I heard Edward clear his throat, "So…hey…um…" he started.

"I don't want you in my son's life."

"So that one isn't mine?" he said a little too happily, as he pointed to my belly.

I glared at him. "Neither of them are yours, they're mine. You're just their damn sperm donor. Hell, I'll even be happy to tell the kids I was artificially inseminated, if you'll just leave me the hell alone. We don't need you, and I don't want you, your money, or your family anywhere near us."

"So you're not going to drop this 'I'm the daddy' charade?"

"Get out!" I shouted at him.

Esme was in the kitchen instantly. I was surprised that she was glaring at her son and not me. "Edward, I asked one thing of you, one damn thing!" When she said damn, his eyes widened, and he looked a little frightened. "You were to make peace with the mother of your children, so I could be a part of my grandbabies' lives!"

"Mom, I didn't even know her…" he started, but his mother grabbed hold of his ear and had him on his knees in seconds.

"You may not know her, but I know my grandbaby, and that's him!" she pointed at a picture of Tyler on the fridge. "I was too easy on you. I let you get away with too much, but that stops now!"

"I really don't want anything..." I made the mistake of butting in.

"Well, you're getting it, in the form of another grandmother and child support. I completely agree with you on keeping him out of Tyler's life at this point," she released Edward's ear, but when she said those last words, he looked in more pain than before. "I wouldn't want my grandson around him, either. Get the car, Edward, we're leaving," she ordered him. "Bella, please reconsider letting me see my grandbaby."

I nodded yes, just a little afraid to say otherwise. She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, dear." She gave my belly a little rub, before she stepped out of my apartment door.

God, what a nightmare this was turning out to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**This has had a once over by Dollybigmomma. **

**Chapter 4 – On Decisions, Good and Bad**

I plopped down on the couch, letting everything run through my head. Edward was an asshole, but Emmett was surprisingly kind. He had helped me back to my car and made Edward let go when he was being an ass. I'd thought he was sweet before I found out he was married, but he'd said he was just trying to get things settled with Edward. I figured Esme couldn't have been that bad of a mother, since she had raised him, and she seemed like she could handle Edward. I reluctantly decided to let her meet Tyler.

I asked her if it would be okay to hold off on any titles at the moment. She said she just wanted to be called Maymay, and I was fine with that. We met at my mother's house. My father wasn't happy about it, and all I could think was that made two of us.

She remembered that Tyler had gone fishing with my father and brought him a little tackle box to put stuff in. Tyler was excited, and my father was easily won over. Tyler really didn't seem to care one way or another about who Maymay was. He was his usual busy two-year-old self. Esme was thrilled when he did repeat her name as Maymay, proving that he knew her.

I walked her out to the car, and she seemed worried about something. "I'd really like to get him tested. Edward should be paying child support."

I put my hand up mid-sentence. "No, I don't want anything to do with him. If he starts paying, he may decide he wants to get involved in Tyler and Elizabeth's lives."

Esme smiled. "Elizabeth, so you finally settled on a name?"

"I think so, I've liked this one for a while. Sometimes, when I pick a name, I'll like it at first, but then a few days later, I'm sick of it. Elizabeth seems to be sticking around, though."

Esme squeezed my shoulder, like she was holding something back, and then she pulled me into her arms, hugging me tightly. "I love that name," she sniffled. I had a feeling it was a family name for them of some sort.

Esme began to come up every other Saturday for yoga and a visit with Tyler. It was turning into a steady routine, and I could deal with that. So I was surprised when I got a call from Esme on a Thursday. "I know this is on very short notice, but do you mind if I visit today?"

"I guess. Tyler's at my mom's house."

"Wonderful, I'll pop in after I'm done checking in at the hotel."

"Hotel? Why aren't you staying at Emmett's?"

"They've just turned their guestroom into a nursery. Rose is due anytime now, and she asked me to be close by, since her mother isn't on hand to be with her during labor."

See, this was where I should have said, _"That's kind of you, see you later,"_ but instead I said, "There's a bed in Tyler's room. It's only a twin, but he isn't using it yet, if you don't mind Elmo sheets."

"Really, Bella, are you sure?"

I should have said, _"No, go check into your hotel,"_ but instead I said, "Yeah, I'm sure Tyler would love to have you as a roommate."

My mother called me to let me know that Esme was picking up Tyler and taking him back to my place, while I picked up some groceries. I was carrying in my usual load to the kitchen, when Esme rushed me, freaking out. "You shouldn't be carrying so much, honey!"

I just laughed. "Well, I can't make Tyler carry it."

"I strong," he flexed.

I handed him a bag with bread in it, and he dragged it to the kitchen.

"Is this all of it?"

"No, I have a few more bags left I need to get."

I turned to get them, but she stopped me. "No, please, I'll get them. Just go put your feet up or something."

I let her go and started putting the groceries away. I set out the things to make dinner and sat down for a breather, because my feet were killing me. As I sat at the kitchen table, I noticed the sink dripping. Now, being the daughter of a plumber, I was definitely adept at fixing a leak and had the tools on hand. I was elbow deep in my toolbox, looking for a washer, when Esme came back in.

"My heavens, what are you doing?"

"The sink's leaking." I had quickly dismantled the faucet like a pro. I could feel her eyes on me and felt compelled to speak. "It's not hard, really. My dad taught me all the basics." I finished putting it back together.

When I turned around, she was frowning. "You really don't need him, do you?"

I shook my head no. "If you're talking about Edward, then no, we're fine on our own." I washed my hands and tested the sink. "Okay, Tyler, it's time for dinner."

That weekend, Rose had a little girl and named her Charlotte. We took Tyler down to see his cousin. He looked through the nursery window, shouting, "Be-be! Be-be!"

"Yup, and soon we'll have one to bring home, too. Are you going to be Mommy's big helper?"

He nodded yes hard.

"Are you interviewing housekeepers?" Esme asked from behind me.

"Housekeepers?"

"Yes, to help out after you have the baby. You'll need your rest and then to get into your routine. How long will you have off work?"

"I have three months of leave and two weeks of vacation. We'll be fine. My mom will be around, and she's going to bring the baby to my work, so I can nurse her like we did with Tyler. Not buying formula saves a lot of money."

"You work close to home?" she asked.

"Yes, I work at Dr. Coust's office, she's a pediatrician and is all for the feeding breaks, or as she calls them, boob breaks."

"If you need any help…"

I looked over to the little bed with the screaming pink baby. "I think Rose is going to need a lot of help. The first one is usually the hardest, and she doesn't have her mom. I have mine if I need anything."

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you, too, Bella. I know you don't really need my family, but I'm here."

"Thanks, Esme."

I had to admit, I was surprised. She had stayed with me for a few days now, and she hadn't really gotten on my nerves. She kept watching me like I was going to snap or crumble or something, but this was my life, and I was happy with it.

I had promised Tyler I would take him to the park, so we went home to get some of our park toys. On the drive, I noticed my car chugging a little, and I knew just what it was, thanks to my years of knowing Jake, the grease monkey. I popped into the auto parts store, picking up a new fuel filter. Now getting down on the ground was another issue. I jacked the car up and put the stands under it, securing it in place. Thankfully, the fuel filter was close to the edge of the car, so I didn't have to put my belly under it. I'd taken Tyler inside and settled him with a snack and a show. I told him once it was over that I would take him to the park.

I was on my back under the car, tightening the new filter into place, when I heard someone yell, "Oh, my god!" My legs were yanked, and I was roughly pulled out from under the car, with my hands still holding the screwdriver in the air.

"What the hell?" I kicked that hand off my ankle and looked up to see Edward's face. His eyes darted to my hands and then the car several times. "What are you doing here?" I snapped, sitting up and rubbing my back. I was never more thankful for a roller board. If he had dragged me on the pavement, it would have torn me up.

"What are you doing?" he asked not answering my question.

I let out a huff, laying back down and rolling under my car. "I'm fixing my car. Now what the hell are you doing here?" I asked while I worked.

"I was…"

"You should go. Tyler is going to be out here in a few minutes, and we're leaving. I don't want him wondering who you are." I tightened everything up and rolled out from under the car again.

"Why do you have tools and ramps?"

"None of your business; now leave." I pulled out the jack handle and started pumping it up, so I could get the car off the ramps.

"Let me do that." He went to reach for it, but I turned on him.

"I don't need you to do that or anything else. You don't wish to have anything to do with Tyler, Elizabeth or me, and I'm granting you that wish. Now leave!" I snapped and got back to work. My apartment door opened, and Tyler was looking past me. I knew who he was looking at.

I finally let the car down and put the last of the tools away in my trunk, while Edward and Tyler continued to stare at each other. I was dragging the jack back to my neighbor's house, when Tyler snapped out of it and ran over to me. "Momma," he grabbed my leg, almost making me fall. I took a deep breath, keeping my cool. It would be wrong to kill his father in front of him, wouldn't it?

I knocked on the neighbor's door, "Hey, Al, I'm done with the jack and board," I called.

Al opened his door and tapped his cigar in a bucket next to it. "Thanks for bringing them back. Did you have any trouble with the filter?"

"Nah, I got 'er done," I teased causing him to smile. He walked back out with me by the car and collected the ramps and the roller board. I told Al thanks again and was relieved to see Edward was nowhere in sight.

"Are you ready to go to the park, Tyler?" He nodded yes. "Just let me change my shirt and wash my hands," I said as I walked into my apartment. I stopped mid-stride, when I saw Edward standing in my living room. Tyler curled into me, and I took a deep breath, trying to cool my temper. "Hey, Tyler, why don't you go pick out which shirt Mommy is going to wear to the park. I need to talk to Mr. Edward."

Tyler was hesitant to leave me, but he rushed down the hall once I gave him an encouraging nod. As soon as he was out of earshot, I attacked. "What in hell do you think you're doing here? You think your niece is so cute that you suddenly want to play house? Well, no dice. These kids are mine!"

He took a step back. "No, I, um, Mom, Esme, she forgot something, a little black bag in her room, his room…I mean your kid's room."

I nodded at him, pointing down the hall, "You can go get it."

He went to Tyler's bedroom, and I went to the bathroom across the hall to keep an eye on him. I was washing my arms and hands, but watching as he looked around and finally found the bag. He didn't leave immediately, but actually walked over to Tyler's little toddler bed and shifted a couple of the stuff animals on it.

Tyler was the one who busted him. "Dat's mine," he stood between his bed and Edward, blocking him from his toys.

My red shirt was on the floor. "Is that the one you picked out for me?"

Tyler didn't take his eyes off of Edward, but nodded yes.

Of course, it was all the way on the damn ground. I had just spent way too much time on the ground. I planned on sitting at the park and not getting up for at least an hour. I guess Edward saw my dilemma, because he picked it up without me asking him to.

"Did you find what she wanted?"

"Yes, I did, thank you."

"Dat's Maymay's!" Tyler yelled and kicked Edward hard in the shin.

I pulled him back, "Maymay asked him to come get it for her. That's why he's here. Now say sorry for hurting Mr. Edward. He's just here to help Maymay."

"Momma mad."

"I'm not mad at you, honey."

"No, Momma mad," he said pointing at Edward.

"The kid must be a mind reader," I laughed.

"Either that or your kid..."

"Watch what you say, because it'll get back to your mother," I warned.

"You're going to tattle on me?"

"It's effective. Now leave," I ordered.

Edward was the last person I wanted to have around, and I wasn't against playing dirty, so he'd have to keep his distance.


	5. Chapter 5

**Beta'd for real by Dollybigmomma. She also went back over the other chapters for me, too.**

**Chapter 5 – On Company, Good and Bad**

Over the next several weeks, Esme was in and out, visiting with Tyler in between taking care of Rose and Charlotte. I did find it odd that Edward always seemed to be the one dropping her off lately. Esme said that her car was in the shop, but I wondered if that was really true. He tended to linger and had gone as far as getting his mother's door every time. I think he was trying to prolong his stay by the way he would glance at my door, and if Tyler was around, he'd give him a smile and a head nod, before he would let his gaze settle on my belly. The exchange never took more than a minute, but it was enough to unnerve me.

"You know, I wouldn't mind giving you a ride or picking you up," I offered to Esme, hoping to keep Edward away from my house.

She smiled widely. "That's so sweet of you, would you mind picking me up tomorrow at Emmett's house? Charlotte has a doctors' appointment, and they'll be gone for most of the afternoon."

I should have known then something was up. When I drove up, no one seemed to be at the house. I took Tyler out of the car to let Esme know we were there. She invited me inside to wait, so she could look for her misplaced purse. I heard someone pull up and looked out the window. Edward was parked behind my car, looking at it confused. I suspected he had been set up as well.

When he walked in, he stopped in the doorway, "What…?" He looked at Tyler, who was watching him closely, and he shut his mouth and shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "I was supposed to get my mom and take her to your house."

"I'm here to pick her up." I wondered what the hell was taking her so long.

He nodded, and his eyes settled on my stomach, "So, soon, right?"

"Another month, but yeah, she's due soon." I covered my belly, like I could keep him from taking my baby.

"He looks just like me," he glanced at Tyler, and I stepped in front of my son protectively.

"Your point?"

"Just, you know, I'm sorry," he shrugged.

I laughed blackly. "That doesn't change anything."

He took a step towards me, but I pushed Tyler back a little, moving us away from Edward.

"Could I…?"

"No," I answered quickly.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"It doesn't matter. I don't want anything from you, and I don't feel obligated to give you anything, either."

He scratched the back of his neck, looking frustrated. He took a deep breath. "I want to be there."

I scoffed.

"You were going to tell me at one point." I looked away. "I'm not that guy anymore."

"I have a belly to prove otherwise."

"You can't blame that all on me. I was drunk, but I wasn't completely out of it. You…" he looked at Tyler, "You know what you did. It wasn't one way. Anyway, I don't do that anymore."

I snorted at him.

"I don't! I live like a monk! I was ashamed of my actions. I went to school to be a doctor and had to do a stint in the psych ward. I learned a lot more about the psychology of women, and saw the damage that can be done by..." He shook his head not saying anymore. "I felt like an ass."

"Language!" I snapped at him.

He pulled on his hair, frustrated. "The point is, if I'd known…"

"You would've pushed for me to get an abortion. Don't try and deny it."

He let out a deep breath and focused on the ground. "Maybe then, but if you'd told me last year about…" he glanced at Tyler, "I would've reacted very differently."

"I don't believe you. You acted like…like…" I glanced at Tyler, "a bad guy."

Edward nodded. "I was afraid you were a bad girl." He smiled at his words. "There've been…bad girls, girls who've tried to do mean things, when they've found out I was a doctor. Everything was always proven otherwise. They were just trying to take advantage of me, like a robber. I thought you might be a robber, too."

"Mommy no bad!" Tyler snapped at him.

"I know that now. I was just hoping for a chance to prove that I'm not a bad guy, either," he spoke directly to Tyler.

"Is Maymay your mommy?" Edward nodded yes. "You good," Tyler stated like it was a fact.

If it were only that simple…

Esme walked out holding her purse. "Found it." She was smiling way too widely. "Oh, Edward, didn't you get my text?"

He pulled out his phone to check. "No, Mom, I haven't received your text yet." He gave her a suspicious look.

"Well, then, since we're all together, why don't we get some food somewhere with a play place?"

Tyler cheered instantly. She knew there would be no getting around it now.

"Why don't you meet us at the Burger King on First, Edward? Tyler really enjoys that place."

She knew I had a weakness for their chicken fries, damn her.

Tyler ran off to play, and Esme seemed focused on cheering him on, as he climbed around and played.

"You're thirty-four weeks now." I wasn't sure how he knew. "OB/GYN," he pointed to himself. "I know the conception date. I was there for it, remember," he smirked.

"I was a robber," I confessed. "I wanted to get pregnant." He looked at me confused. "I didn't want to look like a whore with different baby daddies. That was why I looked you up."

"Are you kidding me? You're just saying that to piss me off."

I shook my head no. "Honest to God. I knew you were an ass, and the sperm donor for my first child. I figured you still were and would be good for a second one, without wanting any involvement."

"Did you get pregnant on purpose with him, too?" His voice wasn't raised, but he was definitely pissed.

I shook my head no. "I was scared out of my mind and alone. If I hadn't been just another notch on your bedpost, you'd have remembered that the condom did break. It was one you supplied, not me."

He looked away. I suspected that he knew about it. He was looking very uncomfortable. I sat up straight, trying to get more air. "You knew. I'll bet that wasn't the only one, was it?"

He looked down.

I laughed, annoyed. "Who else? Really, how many kids do you have running around?"

"There were four, yours and Tanya's were the only ones that, um…"

"Resulted in babies?"

He nodded yes shortly.

"You didn't even bother with a condom with this one," I pointed to my belly.

"You were on birth control."

"You're a gynecologist, don't try and play stupid." His eyes focused on the ground again. "Why would you risk knocking me up or getting an STD?" He shook his head no. "Don't even try to lie to me. I'm a mom, and I can tell when you're lying, it's my job. Not to mention, you have the same tells as your son."

He smiled a little. "When you sent the friend request, I looked up your Facebook page and saw pictures of Tyler. I wasn't sure why you wanted to meet, and I didn't know if you were another woman with a scheme, hell bent on revenge. You do realize, I knew we'd never had a biology class together. I was finished with all those base courses long before you even hit college. I knew you were up to something right from the start.

"When I told Emmett about it, worried that another shit storm was going to tear at my family, he looked you up, too. He was the one who set up the first meeting, and the second meeting, too, I guess. He said that the pictures were too good to be photo-shopped. I was in denial. After our first meeting, Emmett just about knocked me out and called you to meet him, so I could try and talk to you again. He was so sure Tyler was mine, and I was messing everything up.

"You were leaving, and I figured it'd be best to just leave you alone and try again later. Then you stopped me from driving, even though you obviously hated me. I was an ass to you, and you still took care of me. I knew you were a good person then. The way you yelled at me, it was…" he smiled, "I knew you were a good mom.

"You not only took me to my hotel, but you made sure I got to my room. It turned me on. That and you're hot…and I hadn't been with anyone in a long time." He flashed me another smirk. "When you came on to me, there was no way I was saying no. By then, I knew Tyler was mine. Somehow, in my drunken mind, I thought we should be together. I wanted to be with you. I was selfish.

"I did use a condom at first, and then when I saw you had birth control, I wrongly assumed you were taking it and gave you a quick exam before our next round. I planned on talking with you that morning about starting something up between us. I hid in the shower, working up the courage and planning out what I'd say, so I wouldn't mess it up. Then you just left. I'd walked out on so many women in my life, but that was the first time anyone had ever walked out on me."

So his crappy foreplay that felt more like a vaginal exam really had been a vaginal exam.

He sighed. "I missed being there for Tyler. I was hoping to not miss out on this one."

"But you have, you denied her."

"It didn't look like you were lining up with the date of our consummation. You looked further along. If you were lying about this baby, then maybe I'd made a mistake and you were lying about Tyler, too."

"Thanks for calling me fat."

He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "I know I fucked up." He leaned across the table. "I've been trying to figure out how to fix it. You're so damn stubborn."

"No, I'm just protective of my family. I have a right to be. You can't just waltz in here and try and take my children from me."

He took a deep breath. I was sure he was trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then he smiled when he opened them. "Okay, I get why you'd think I'm trying to take your kids, but I'm not. I'm just trying to be a part of their lives. I want to be a dad. Don't you think, at some point, Tyler will notice everyone else has a daddy but him?"

"He has my dad."

"He's his grandpa, it's not the same."

A man with a little girl came walking in with some food. She turned her puppy eyes on him, and he waved her off to go play with Tyler. I saw my son watch their interaction. I wondered how long it would take before he would start asking questions.

I looked up at Edward to see his eyes fixed on my son. He was waving at him every few seconds, as he climbed up the high tubes to the big slide. He usually didn't go down that one. It was too high for him. He went down the slide and popped out with a squeal. "Did it, did it, did it!"

"Great job, Tyler!" I cheered.

"Alright, big boy, look at you! Give me five!" Edward encouraged. I watched as he gave my son's hand a slap, and then Tyler jumped into his arms. Edward didn't expect it, but he quickly caught him in his arms. He hugged him tightly, and I could see his eyes shining with tears. He sniffled, and Tyler pulled back to see what was wrong. He put his little hand on Edward's cheek, showing his concern.

"I'm alright, buddy. That was just the best hug I've ever had. You're the best hugger in the whole world, you know that, big boy?" he gave him a watery smile.

Tyler seemed appeased and ran off to go play again. I looked over at Esme to see if she had her eyes on Tyler, but she was looking at Edward with such emotion that it was killing me. She caught my gaze and then pointed at the play place and turned around, letting me know she would watch Tyler, while Edward and I talked.

Edward was poking at some French fries. I could tell he was trying to think of something to say to me. He finally looked up at me. "You don't have to tell him who I am, just please..."

I let out a sigh of defeat. I had a feeling that Esme would be arranging more of these accidental meetings, until I gave in. It would be best if I took control of the situation myself, before things got out of hand. "Fine, I don't see why you can't tag along occasionally. I don't know how much experience you have with children, and I think you should have a warming-up period."

I would swear he looked like he was going to pop like a balloon. He finally jumped up and hugged me, which was very unexpected. I did my best to not breathe in his cologne or even think of how good it felt to be in his arms. I couldn't let my loneliness distract me. My kids came first.

When he sat down, he seemed to be thinking hard on something. I was surprised when he actually bit his lip. "Have you had an ultrasound? Of course you have, that's how you know she's a girl. What I meant to ask is…can I do one on you?"

"Why, still don't believe she's yours?" I nearly growled.

"No, I do wholeheartedly believe she's my daughter. That's why I regret missing her ultrasound." He looked defeated; as if he was sure I would say no. Honestly, I was in a pissy mood, so the word no was on the tip of my tongue. "I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve it. I thought you were…"

"Further along, I get it, I'm fat. I appreciate you pointing that out, again," I snapped at him.

He looked down, ashamed. "It's happened before. It's why I was so skeptical. When mom told me you were pregnant, I was okay with it. I was shocked, but glad she'd found you. Then when I saw you, I was sure she wasn't mine…that the dates wouldn't match up."

"What made you change your mind?"

"My mom ended up getting a due date from your mother. I was sure you wouldn't lie to your mother about that. I realized she was mine too late. You were furious with me, and I can't blame you. I was a complete…" he looked around and leaned across the table, "ass," he whispered. I had to fight off a smile.

I looked down at the table and started shredding a napkin and wadded it up into a ball.

"Please, Bella, there's a machine at the clinic I work at. It'd be free. I'll even pay for your gas to come down."

"Down where?"

"Forks, it's where I've been hiding with my tail between my legs. I'm human, Bella, but I'm trying here. I messed up a lot in college, I know that."

"Yes, you did. What were you thinking?"

He sighed, looking upset. "That's a story for another time."

"Well, you'd better plan on telling it sometime soon, if you want to be involved in my children's lives," I demanded.

He nodded in agreement, looking down at the table. "I just want to prove to you that I've grown up. I'm a different man. I'd like to be a part of their lives."

"You're a doctor, you should know better than to jump to conclusions, and never to call a pregnant woman fat," I hissed.

He pulled on his hair a little. "You're so petite, and it's your second pregnancy. I should've known better...I shouldn't have tried to guess just by looking at you."

"No, you shouldn't have."

"I know you have every right to be angry, but please, Bella, can you please let me have this? I want to see our daughter. Don't you want to have another peek at her?"

He was right. Even if I didn't like it, or him right now, it would be nice to have another ultrasound, just to be sure everything was alright with my baby. "Fine, how long does it take to get to Forks?"

He actually clapped, and Esme looked over to make sure everything was okay. I was sure she thought I'd slapped him. He had deserved it on more than one occasion. I smiled and gave her a nod, letting her know everything was fine, and apparently, her little plan was working…meddling woman.

"Okay, so Forks is three hours away. If you get off a little early on Friday, you can drive out that night. You can stay with me or my parents or at the inn, wherever you feel comfortable. Saturday, the clinic is closed, so I'll take you in then, and we can spend a little time playing with the ultrasound machine. If you want, you can stay until Sunday."

He could tell I wasn't loving his plan to stay with him or his family, so he spit out, "Bring your family. There's great fishing. I'm sure your dad would enjoy taking Tyler out while we're at the clinic. My parents have a couple of guestrooms. I know my mother would love to have yours over."

He was right, my mom and his mom had become best friends. If I ran this past them, I knew my mom would push to go. If I did go, it would probably be best to go with my parents in tow for moral support. I would need someone on my side.

I pulled out my phone and called my mom. "Hey, Mom, what are you up to this weekend?"

"Well, there's no yoga retreat, so nothing, dad was thinking about painting the kitchen."

I heard my dad shout, "No, I wasn't!"

I giggled. Mom was always trying to get him to do things he didn't want to do. He would eventually do it, though.

"So, you guys aren't doing anything this weekend?"

I would swear I could hear mom's glare over the phone. "No, I don't think we have anything, honey."

"Hey, Esme." I wanted to make sure she was okay with us all staying at her house, before I volunteered it.

Edward was out of his seat, shouting, "Mom, can the Swan's stay at your house this weekend?"

She looked over at me, hopeful. "Of course, dear."

"Including my parents?"

"I'd love to have them."

"Are you sure? We don't want to put you out."

"Positive, dear, and tell your father to bring his fishing gear as well. He and Carlisle can go out in the boat on the lake."

My mother must have put the phone on speaker at some point, because I heard my father shout, "Hot damn, fishing on a boat!" He always fished from the shore. He'd been saving up for a little john boat, but it seemed like something always came up…like the kitchen needing painting.

In my mother's defense, it had been a florescent lime green, with crazy busy wallpaper, since they'd bought the house. My dad had promised it would get painted to convince her to buy it. It really did hurt your eyes if you were in there too long.

"You still owe me a kitchen," my mother complained.

"I know, woman, but our daughter needs us this weekend." He sounded way too happy to be "supporting" me on this trip. I doubted I'd see much of him while we were there.

"Alright, I'm going to see if I can get off early this Friday to drive down. I'll get the address from you as soon as I find out."

Edward was quick to volunteer it. His eagerness was almost cute, but I was determined to stay mad at him. I knew it was a bit petty, but I needed to protect myself and my children from his charm. He didn't get a mess of women in his bed by being an ass twenty-four-seven. The man could charm candy from a baby, and I was sure said baby would be happy about giving it up and offer their sippy cup as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dollybigmomma beta'd this. THANK YOU!**

**I'm donating one shots to Fandom for Autism and Fandom for Domie. The links to donate are on my profile, along with a link to my Savanna van Smutsmut facebook page. Check it out.**

**Chapter 6 – On Acting, Good and Bad**

Edward was still driving Esme to visit me and would pop in and say hi to Tyler. Things stayed awkward between us, but he didn't let it stop him from talking to my son. It didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon.

Some days I just felt bitchier than others, and him wanting to be around Tyler made me feel defensive. He made it clear he didn't want to take him from me, just be involved, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be enough for him, that Edward would want more. Esme was so dang sweet, though. I didn't want to believe she'd betray me and my mother by trying to take my son from us.

I wasn't really all that surprised to hear that my mother had met Edward and thought he was very handsome. Apparently, he was giving Esme rides to her house as well. My mother and Esme might've believed Edward had changed, but I'd seen him play a suave bastard before.

I'd be the first to admit he could be handsome and charming, but that was an act he had perfected in college. I didn't want to fall for it a second time. I didn't need him, and I wanted to make sure he knew that. I would not be taken advantage of again. I thought it was amusing that he'd never had a woman walk out on him. When he told me that, I wanted to stick my tongue out at him and rub it in his face. I obviously needed to watch a few more children's TV shows about not being mean. I did hold my tongue and kept the words "serves you right" and "turnabout is fair play" in my mouth.

The way our mothers snuck around, it made me believe they wanted Edward and me to get together. I asked my dad about it, and he said he wasn't getting involved. It became abundantly clear that my mother and Esme had been cohorts in planning our little get-together. I wasn't sure how much Edward had to do with it. It was my mother who mentioned how nice it was for Edward to have access to an ultrasound machine, so he could use it anytime he wanted. I had a feeling they had planted the idea of him using it on me in his head. I didn't want to start anything with Edward, though. There was too much at risk, not to mention that he showed absolutely no interest in me at all, other than to talk about our kids, and I was okay with that.

Yes, I was sure our mothers were scheming. I just didn't know what they planned to accomplish by it.

I didn't want to share my babies with Edward, but I had a feeling it was inevitable. I think my dad even mentioned it in passing that fathers play important roles in children's lives. I was ready to throttle all four of them.

We didn't see Esme or Edward on Thursday at all, because they had gone to Forks to get the house ready. I didn't know what all that'd entail. I hadn't done more than wash the bedding when Esme came to stay with us. I hoped she felt the same. She didn't need to do any more than that.

Friday came too fast. I hadn't told Dr. Coust why I needed to get off early, but I sensed she knew there was something big going on and wasn't going to get in my way.

My parents were going to follow me down to Forks to be sure our cars made it all the way there without incident. The cars were fine for driving around town, but we hadn't taken them on a long trip in some time.

When we pulled up to Esme's home, I felt embarrassed about having made her stay in my crappy little apartment. I should have let her go to a nice hotel, while Rose was waiting for her baby to come, and Emmett could get their third bedroom set up for her. I guess it used to be his office and still had his desk in it. I didn't know what Emmett did for work, but his home was nice, not extravagant like Esme's, but definitely upper-middle class.

I felt like white trash. No wonder Edward thought I was going after him for money. Esme came rushing out, with her arms open as wide as her smile. "You've made it! Come in, come in and have some dinner. I'm so glad you've arrived safely."

A tall thin man who could have been Edward's double, but older with blonde hair, stepped out onto the porch. "Well now, what do we have here?" He looked over at Tyler with a big grin. "I heard we had a handsome man coming to visit, it's obviously true."

"I strong," Tyler flexed, showing his manliness.

"This is my husband, Carlisle. He's been busy at work when I've been in Seattle. He'll be working from home this weekend, so he can spend some time with us."

"I hear you like to fish," he spoke to my dad, who grinned like a fool.

"That I do. I hear you have a boat."

"Yup, and a lake just out behind the house."

"How far behind the house, could Tyler reach it if he wandered off?" I asked worried.

"We have a fenced backyard. We put it and a playground in as soon as we learned Rose was pregnant. It should be fine."

"Tyler is going to go fishing with us big boys, right, buddy? I got a special lifejacket just for you," Carlisle said with a smile.

I wondered if they would let him wear it all the time.

There was no need to wonder, though. As soon as Carlisle showed him his Elmo lifejacket, he wouldn't take it off, and they didn't bother to try and remove it from him.

We were halfway through dinner, when Edward came rushing in. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he apologized to my parents and me. "I had a baby to catch," he grinned widely, "A healthy little girl."

"Edward, dear, you need to change your shirt. Did you have it on under your scrubs?" Esme asked confused.

"I was about to leave and was mostly redressed, when the mother came in. She was going to deliver using a midwife at home, but she changed her mind last minute. They came in when she was dilated to ten. The nurses were hollering for me to get in there and catch. I just made it. I didn't have time to get my shirt back off." He pulled it away from him to look at the collar.

"Just grab one of your father's shirts, dear, and leave that one in the hamper. I can get the stains out of that one for you."

"Thanks, Mom," he leaned in, kissing his mom's cheek while trying to keep his distance.

"There's peroxide under the bathroom sink, dear. Let it soak in that."

"Will do."

"Well, now that we have that settled, how about some dessert?" Esme asked.

I really didn't want to give Tyler any sugar this late. There would be no way he would go to bed. It was going to be challenging with him being in a new place as it was.

"It's Jell-O, sugar free," Esme winked at me, like she'd read my mind.

Tyler really didn't care if it was sugar free or not, he just wanted some, now. We usually didn't have dessert. Edward came down the stairs in a skin-tight shirt. His body looked glorious. I wanted to slap myself for thinking that.

"Have you been working out, Son?" his father asked.

"No, you've been dieting," he smirked.

Carlisle looked to his wife for confirmation. "I've lost weight?"

Esme just giggled and kissed his cheek. "Your blood pressure came back a little high your last visit, remember?"

He looked at the fridge like it would have the answer. It was comical, really. I guess it was a testament to Esme's culinary skills that he hadn't noticed the difference.

Edward took a seat next to Tyler with a dinner plate. "Hey, buddy, I see you have your lifejacket on. Are you going fishing with your grandpa tomorrow?"

I nearly snapped at him for calling Carlisle his grandfather, but my dad piped up with, "He sure is."

Esme must have been excited to have us come, because the bathroom they had for Tyler and I to use had a rubber ducky theme with a mess of toys in it. I usually had a hard time getting him into the tub, but as soon as he saw the setup, he was in it in a heartbeat, and I had a hard time getting him out.

Edward had come into the bathroom with us and was thoroughly soaked from playing with the toys as well. He was trying to coax Tyler out of the tub with the promise of more toys and a bedtime story. When we crossed the hall to his room, I was floored. Esme had taken the Elmo theme to the extreme. Tyler had been upset about taking off his lifejacket, until he saw the bathroom. He had been reaching for it, wanting it back on, until Edward showed him his Elmo pajamas.

"I brought clothes for him," I complained.

"Mom wanted to spoil him. She was really excited to have you all come. She wanted to make sure you had a great time so you'd return."

I looked away, not sure what to say. It was very nice here, but I didn't really have a reason to visit Forks. I was only here for the ultrasound.

I knew Edward picked up on that, because his smile faltered a little. He recovered, tucking Tyler in and read to him until he fell asleep.

We stepped out into the hall. "Have you seen your room?" he asked, pointing to the door across the way.

"I haven't had a chance yet."

He opened the door for me. The room was done up in a deep burgundy and rosy pink. There was a little bassinette in the corner of the room. The bottom of it was overflowing with baby supplies. "Did your mom make up this room for your sister-in-law and Charlotte?" I hoped.

He shook his head no. "Rose and Emmett's room is at the other end of the hall."

That was what I was afraid of.

"So, in the morning, I'll be here for breakfast. Our dads are taking Tyler fishing, and our moms are doing…honestly, I don't know what they're doing, but mine said they'd be busy with something, and she was wearing a grin that made me nervous."

I giggled at the face he made when he said that. I'd seen the pair of them chatting with mischievous smiles earlier. He was right to be worried.

I think my mother was actually in on getting me down here, because when I asked her about painting the kitchen, she waved me off, confessing she hadn't even picked a color yet. She most likely used that excuse, just in case I was asking them to do something else…the troublemakers.

"After breakfast, I'll take you down to the clinic, and we'll have a look at our little girl."

I didn't correct him. I felt guilty for some reason over disappointing him by not wanting to come back here, so I let him call her ours.

His behavior towards us had changed so drastically, it was confusing. I knew he was still hesitant around me, walking on eggshells, but he seemed to really want to be involved with Tyler in any way I'd let him. I hadn't invited him into the bathroom for bath time, he had just sort of showed up, and I hadn't wanted to run him off with Tyler watching. Then they were having so much fun together. Being thirty-four weeks pregnant had been taking its toll on me, so I just didn't have it in me to fight with him. Then when he stepped in to halt Tyler's tantrum when getting out of the tub, I'd admit, I might have been a little grateful. I was so used to parenting on my own; it was strange to have backup. I knew if I wasn't careful, I could end up getting used to it.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm at Dollybigmomma's house, that's why this is posting so late, sorry. She beta'd it, too. Check out my Savanna van Smutsmut Facebook page. The link is on my website, along with the links to Fandom for Autism and Fandom for Domie. I'm donating one shots for both. **

**Chapter 7 - Pretend**

For once, I wasn't woken by Tyler, but by the smell of breakfast. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen and found Edward holding Tyler in his arms. He was dressed to go fishing, wearing his little lifejacket and helping Edward make toast. Edward had him put the bread in and push the button down. But when they popped up, Edward would take them out, warning Tyler they were hot and showed him his red fingertips, and even went so far as to kiss his own fingers, like he had hurt them. Tyler looked concerned, and I wondered if I should have been upset that Edward was butting in and teaching my kid something, but when I reached for the bread, Tyler shouted, "Momma, HOT!"

"Those ones on top are probably still hot. Do you want to grab the jam?"

I grabbed the jam from the fridge and watched in horror as Tyler grabbed the butter knife, ready to jam up his bread. We would end up scrubbing the kitchen all day if he had his way.

"Give it to Mommy."

"Mine," he held the butter knife against his chest, ready to fight for his chance to spread jam.

Edward put him in his booster at the table and then pulled out another butter knife. He started spreading the jam without saying a word. Tyler looked over at Edward confused, unsure how he'd ended up with a butter knife, but no jam on it.

"Have a seat," he said, as he put together a couple of plates. He cut a toasted jam sandwich into four pieces and brought it over to Tyler. He sat next to him. "Are you gonna cut it smaller?" he asked him. He held his knife over the pieces, showing Tyler how to cut them smaller. "Like this, buddy." Tyler got the idea, and he went to town, chopping the crap out of his toast. At least it was a minimal mess. Once Tyler was done chopping, he got to eating and finished off his whole sandwich.

I heard the stomping of feet coming from the back of the house. "Is Tyler, the fisherman, ready to go in the boat?" my father called.

Tyler jumped up, standing in his booster, and Edward was able to move much faster than I was to steady him. "Yeah, he's ready," Edward laughed it off and helped Tyler down. Carlisle pulled a cooler out of the fridge and waved to us. "We'll be back for dinner, or hopefully, with dinner."

Once the back door shut, I turned to Edward. "So, where did our mothers get off to?"

"I have no idea, but it couldn't have been good. My mom usually cooks big breakfasts, but she just 'didn't have the time' to do it this morning. They're definitely up to something."

I rode in Edward's car to the clinic, which was actually attached to a little hospital. That explained how they could call him in so fast from his clinic. He held the door for me and led me to a back room. He flipped on a machine, but didn't bother with the lights. "So, you know the drill, right?"

I nodded yes, scooting up on the bed and tucked my pants under my belly and pulled my shirt up over it as well.

The look on his face was confusing. He looked in awe and in pain at the same time. He gave me a gentle smile, as he readied the machine. "Alright, this'll be a little cold."

"It usually is."

"Have you had several ultrasounds?" He sounded worried.

"No, but Dr. Hunter uses some gel when he checks for the heartbeat."

"Dr. James Hunter?" Edward sounded worried. I nodded yes, wondering how he knew my doctor. "Is he in a co-op of doctors now? Do you see several other doctors as well?"

"No, just him."

Edward looked nervous, like he was trying to debate between telling me something and keeping his mouth shut.

"Is everything alright?" I was beginning to worry. It wasn't a good sign, when one doctor wasn't happy about you seeing another.

He looked like he was about to explode and not in a good way. "Let's just take a look at our baby girl." I could tell he was trying to pull his thoughts together.

When her heartbeat filled the room, his smile was huge. I thought he was just going to look at her for fun, but he seemed to be doing a thorough exam, even going as far as to measure her organs. "Did Dr. Hunter do your ultrasound or a technician?"

"He did," I answered honestly, and Edward seemed to examine the screen even more thoroughly. I could see the stress and worry in his face. He seemed to be taking several images and double-checking everything. "Is everything alright?" I asked worried.

"It looks like it. Who recommended him to you?"

"No one, I just saw he was covered by my insurance and located close to work."

"You work with a pediatrician, does she know him?"

"I don't know, I didn't tell her I was seeing him."

"You didn't ask anyone about him?" he nearly shouted.

"I didn't see any complaints about him online."

He shook his head, laughing blackly. "Of course not."

"Edward, what's going on?"

He looked at me nervously. "I know you don't like me or trust me, but please, just listen to me this one time and change doctors. I can give you a list of great doctors, just don't see James anymore."

"You know Dr. Hunter personally?" I asked.

He nodded yes. "Please, I'll bet if you asked the doctor you work for, she'd agree with me. Just please, consider changing doctors. Hell, I'll pay for the cost of an out-of-network doctor if you want. Just please, don't see him anymore. I don't want him delivering our baby."

Again, I didn't snap at him for calling Elizabeth our baby; instead of saying she was just mine. He looked really upset about it, and I was getting worried. "Is she alright? Does everything look like it should?" I asked, as I tried to see the ultrasound pictures.

"It looks good so far. I'm going to pull these up in my office and look at them closer to make sure I didn't miss anything." He put his hand on one side of my stomach and held the wand in the other, shifting my belly to get her to move and kick him. He smiled down at her, and before I could stop him, he was kissing my belly. My eyes widened, and I gasped in shock. He looked up at me wide-eyed, like he couldn't believe he had just done that.

"Do you kiss all of your patient's bellies?" I asked letting him know I wasn't pissed at his little slipup.

"No, just the belly with my baby in it." I raised a challenging eyebrow at him, and he smiled. "I swear, yours is the only pregnant belly I've ever kissed."

We heard a knocking on the office door, and Edward poked his head out of the room. "Go ahead and get dressed. I'll pull up the images as soon as I've taken care of this."

I stepped out of the exam room and saw him talking to a pregnant woman and another holding a baby. Edward took the baby from the lady and cuddled it. He was so enamored with the baby, that he didn't see the way they were gawking at him. I remembered that from college. I came down the hall, but they were too focused on him, and he was too focused on the baby for them to notice me.

As I walked closer, I heard Edward talking. "So, Jenny, how is Tim adjusting to fatherhood?"

The woman had the audacity to lean to the side to check out his butt. "Oh, my husband is doing fine, so fine," she answered, but it was obvious she wasn't referencing her husband's state of mind.

"That's good, being a daddy is the greatest thing in the world."

"That's so true, Dr. Cullen," the pregnant woman stated rubbing her belly. "Having a father around is so important to a child." She stepped a little closer. "I can see you'd make such a wonderful father. You really should see about settling down…Edward."

He looked up a little rattled and stepped back, clearing his throat. "Please, call me Dr. Cullen while I'm in the office, Jessica."

"But it's after hours." She stepped closer, and he shifted the baby between them.

"Even still, we're in the office," he motioned to the desk to make his point. "So, Jenny, is all going well? I see her jaundice cleared up nicely."

"Yes, you're so good with her."

"Actually, it's Dr. Clearwater who takes over after I catch. He's the person who confirmed and treated her jaundice."

"Still, you were the one to point it out first."

She reached out to take the baby from him and blatantly ran her hand down his chest. Once the baby was back in her arms, he took three large steps back. "I have a patient waiting. Was there something you needed?"

"Jessica was having contractions," Jenny motioned to the other woman.

"Yes, Edward, I was hoping you could do that pressure point thing. You know that always works like a charm," she purred, disregarding his request to be addressed as Dr. Cullen.

He reached up, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't have a nurse on hand to help with it."

"Oh, I'll help," Jenny offered, and Edward looked at her with his mouth hanging open, his eyes darting to her face and then the baby in her arms.

"Where did you say Tim was?" he glanced to the door, looking panicked.

"You know, it's time for me to feed the baby." She started undoing the buttons on her shirt.

"She's not fussing, I'm sure she's fine. Like I said, I have a patient."

"How about we wait for you in exam room one?"

"You know, I think it'd be best if I just scheduled you on a regular day. I was worried that their might've been something wrong with the baby, but if you're just having minor contractions…"

"Look at you, being such a sweetheart on your day off. Do you want to be a daddy, Edward? You can be my baby's daddy," the slutty pregnant woman tried to sound sultry and began moving in on him.

Edward was floundering so badly, even I felt sorry for him. I decided to have mercy on him and rescue him from the slut sisters. His discomfort proved this kind of behavior was not something he encouraged. The poor man looked like he was about to run away screaming.

"I thought you'd narrowed down the father of your baby to two men," he said, while his eyes darted around, searching for an escape.

"Oh, I have, but neither is good enough to be a daddy." Pity she didn't think of that beforehand, but then who was I to talk.

"Yes, well, I'm more of a one-woman man myself."

"Oh, I know," she moved closer, and he stepped back again. "I could be a one-man woman for you."

"That's very kind of you, but I'm not really available right now."

"Not available?" Jenny didn't believe him one bit, but I had a feeling he wasn't seeing anyone because of me. "We don't ever see you with anyone, honey. This town is small, you know. You can't fool us."

It was time for me to cut in. "That's because I don't live here, and he's actually my baby daddy. I'm sure you've noticed he's been spending a lot of time in Seattle lately, seeing as how you're up on all the small-town doings." I slipped under Edward's arm, and his jaw nearly hit the floor, but he played along, wrapping his arm around me and resting his free hand on my belly. I did my best to ignore how good it felt to be in his arms.

"Who are you?" the tramps snapped in unison.

"Bella Swan, mother to Edward's children."

"Children?"

I pulled a couple of pictures of Tyler up on my phone. "Yes, doesn't our boy look just like his daddy?"

It was true; I had seen the baby pictures of Edward. I understood why Esme was so adamant that Tyler was Edward's.

"You have a kid?" the women stepped back, shocked.

When he registered their retreat, he decided to go for it. "Yes, and this is my daughter, Elizabeth. We were just playing with the ultrasound machine."

"You have a kid?" the pregnant tramp said again, still stuck on that fact and was looking at me in disgust.

"Yes, he does, and it looks like you'll have one soon as well."

She scoffed then gripped her belly, bending over. "GODDAMN IT!"

"Contraction? Did it radiate from the back, or was it just a tightening of your belly?" Edward was Dr. Cullen instantly, and I missed his arms more than I'd like to admit. I really needed to stay out of them if I was going to keep my head straight.

"She's had a few of them. When your mom saw her have one at the boutique, she told us you were here, and that we should get her checked out."

Well, that explained their sudden unwanted appearance.

Edward had her sit in a chair at the nurse's station, taking her blood pressure and pulling out a baby heart monitor. "Let's just take a minute to see if little Michael is acting up, or if he's in trouble." He looked up at Jenny, "When was her last contraction?"

"She was having one when I knocked on the door."

He nodded and glanced at the clock. "Your belly is staying pretty tight. I think it might be prudent for you to head in to the hospital. I'll walk you through and let them know what I think is going on." We followed him through a back hallway that opened right into what looked like the maternity ward.

"Dr. Cullen," a nurse jumped up, looking at the trail of women behind him. "Is everything alright?"

"I'd like Ms. Stanley to get monitored for a while. She's having some strong contractions. I don't think they're regular, but I want to make sure the baby isn't in any distress. Go ahead and start an I-V as well. I want her hydrated, to be sure that's not what's causing it."

Jessica looked worriedly over at Jenny, who wrapped her arm around her, trying to give her some comfort.

"Of course, Dr. Cullen."

"Thank you, Angela. Is Dr. Davis on call?"

"Yes, he is."

"Let him know I sent them in and would like him to keep me apprised of the situation."

"Will do." She looked over at me and smiled, but didn't ask anything about me.

Edward must have noticed her unasked question. "Angela, this is Bella Swan," he said, shifting nervously, like he wanted to say something more.

"He has kids," Jessica nearly shouted, "with her!"

It was one thing to tell a couple of trampy women and play his girl to ward them off, but she had just shouted out that we had children together to the whole hospital. I knew in this small-town everyone would assume we were more than what we were. I wasn't sure if I was ready to play that game of pretend for him, just to save face.

"So that's what keeps you in Seattle. Have you heard back on your request to transfer?" If he moved to Seattle, he'd be underfoot a lot more.

He looked at me sheepishly. "Not yet. It'll be another month before I hear back from them."

"We'll miss you when you leave, Edward. You really are the best. I mean no offense to Dr. Davis, but you're a lot more cautious when it comes to the health of the mothers and babies."

"Davis is…" Edward started to defend his colleague.

"I know, but he just doesn't listen to the mothers like you do. I don't want you to leave, but I wrote a glowing recommendation for you, anyways."

"Thank you, Angela."

I wondered if everyone had a crush on Edward. Then I wondered why I cared. There was no reason for me to be jealous, because we weren't really together. I wanted nothing to do with him. He was just the sperm donor for my children…a very handsome, sweet, and compassionate sperm donor, who obviously didn't hold grudges against trampy women.

I was so screwed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Beta'd by Dollybigmomma, give her some love!**

**I'm donating one-shots to Fandom for Autism and Fandom for Domie. The links are on my profile to donate, along with the link to my Savanna van Smutsmut Facebook page. Check them out!**

**Chapter 8 – On Interference, Good and Bad**

Once Jessica was settled, we made our way back to his clinic. We were both silent, and it was an awkward silence. He waved me back to his office and pulled a chair behind his desk, so I could see what he was doing. He woke his computer, and the screen background was a collection of happy babies. I couldn't stop my smile, but made sure he didn't see it.

"Okay," he scooted closer and enlarged the image. We went back to being silent, as he studied image after image so carefully, that I was surprised he didn't take out a magnifying glass. He finally sat back and gave me a smile. "Well, Ms. Swan, we have a healthy baby girl."

I about punched him for making me wait so long to hear that. "Good, thank you for checking on her."

He nodded. "It was for my peace of mine just as much as yours. Do you have any other concerns or things that you may be worried about, but aren't telling your doctor because you think they're silly?" He looked at me with true concern. "Really, Bella, any little thing you can think of. There are a lot of things women don't want to talk about, but they can be signs of other issues. Other things have easy fixes. You don't have to suffer," he said kindly.

I thought for a moment and finally took a deep breath. "I can't hold it when I sneeze. That wasn't a problem with Tyler."

"That isn't uncommon when a woman has multiple children. Are you doing your kegel exercises?"

"My what?"

"He hasn't told you about them?" He grimaced. "It's a muscle that you should work from day one. It helps with bladder control and also during delivery."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he pulled out a paper with "Kegel Exercises" written across the top. "This should help. You should have enough time to get your muscles in order before the delivery. It's also good to work on them after as well to prevent any other further complication."

I honestly was stunned that he could answer me so smoothly without making me feel stupid or gross. He was so professional about it. They way he pushed me to talk to him made me see what Nurse Angela was saying. He knew how to listen to the mothers and seemed rather sincere about it. "Thank you," I whispered.

He patted my hand. "It's my job." He scooted his chair back and then took my hand, helping me get out of mine. "I know this is going to sound bad, but I was wondering if you'd come back to my place. I wanted you to see where I lived. Maybe get to know me better?"

My eyes narrowed at him.

"I swear, not like that. I was just thinking of making you some lunch and talking to you about different doctors I know in your area."

I was hungry, so I agreed. I was busy reading the kegel exercise paper while we drove there. I was blushing like mad at the end of it. I peeked over at him, but he didn't seem to care that I was going to work on tightening my pussy muscles. If it didn't state it would help with my problem specifically and gave other references on the paper, I would've thought he was trying to pull a fast one on me.

I was confused when he pulled up to a house. "What are we doing here?" I hoped he didn't plan on introducing me to anyone else. I really didn't feel up to it. Ever since he mentioned food, my stomach had been protesting.

"This is my house."

He hopped out of the car, getting my door and helping me out. It wasn't necessarily chivalrous, just a necessity, as he had to use both hands to pry me out. He led me over to the front door, opening it without unlocking it. "Don't you lock your door?"

He looked down the street and then waved to a neighbor. "I don't think Ms. Thelma is gonna hit my place while I'm at work."

His house looked nothing like what I thought a bachelor pad should look like. It looked like a regular house, minus the throw pillows and flowery things. "The kitchen is in here. I was thinking sandwiches. The bread I bought is a good source of folic acid, and I have some baby spinach to use instead of lettuce." He looked over at me to see if I'd protest.

"Sure, just make it quick, Elizabeth's getting unsettled."

He nodded and actually seemed to work faster. He brought the plate over to the kitchen table with a large cup of milk, and then he went to work on his lunch. He sat across from me, giving me a smile, when he saw that I had already finished half my sandwich by the time he joined me.

"Would you like a glass of water?" he asked getting up. He grabbed one, setting it down next to my half-empty cup of milk.

"Thanks," I tried to focus on my sandwich. His house was a lot nicer than my little apartment. It was making me feel like white trash again.

"So, do you rent this?"

"No, I bought it once I knew my residency was approved here. My family was here, so I figured this was where I would settle down."

"But you put in to move to Seattle?"

He looked down at his plate and then back up to me, like he was trying to find the right words. "I'd like to get to know you better, Bella. I'd like to visit with my kids more." He looked nervous, like I'd rip his head off. I was on the verge of it, too.

Elizabeth gave me a good hard kick, making my whole tummy shift, stealing my attention. When I looked up from her, I saw his smiling face focused on my belly.

"She always gets wiggly after I eat." I sat up straighter, trying to get more room to breathe.

"That's good; her wiggling is a good sign that she's healthy."

I let out a yawn. Moving around was exhausting. Dr. Coust said I should start my leave two weeks before my due date, and I was thinking I was going to take her up on it.

"Would you like to rest? I have a guestroom."

I hesitated only a moment, I was too tired to refuse. He led me to a guestroom that looked kind of girly. I raised a brow in question, and he actually blushed a little. "It's kind of my mom's room, too. She stays here a lot when my dad is traveling. Believe me, she won't mind at all."

"What does she think of you moving to Seattle?"

"She's okay with it. She's been talking to my dad about moving up there, too, so she can be close to her grandbabies."

I lay down on the bed, and he grabbed a couple of pillows out of the closet. He tucked one between my knees and one under my belly. If it didn't help so much, I would have told him to leave me alone. "Are you comfortable?" He actually looked worried I wouldn't be.

"Yeah, I'm good, thanks." He nodded and walked out.

He was making it hard for me not to like him. I was supposed to stay mad and keep him away from my babies, but he wasn't acting like the asshole I remembered. He wasn't acting like the jerk I'd met with at the bar. It seemed like once he knew the kids were his, he'd done a complete one-eighty and was bending over backwards to be nice. I was fully aware that he could sue for visitations. My father had brought it up, worried they might cause trouble. Edward never once hinted at it. I wondered if Esme kept him at bay. I did let her see Tyler a lot. He loved her, and she was easy to get along with. The way her and my mom clucked like hens together just made her fit in with the family even more.

When I woke from my nap, I made my way back to the front of the house. I saw Edward sitting on his couch, hunched over his coffee table. Even from a distance, I could tell he was looking at some pictures I'd taken of Tyler and Esme.

When I made myself known, he quickly moved them to a drawer in the coffee table. His eyes were glassy. "Feeling better?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I get tired so fast lately. I think I'm going to start my leave at thirty-eight weeks."

"That's probably a good idea. Do you have everything you need? Are you all set up for her to come home?"

"Yeah, I've just got a couple of things to take care of still. Mostly just washing and putting away baby clothes."

He nodded like he was approving the task, which was just ridiculous. It wasn't any of his business. "That's good; you're only nine days away from thirty-eight weeks, Bella. It's very common for babies to come around that time, and in two days, you'll be thirty-seven weeks. We take babies that early if issues arise. Basically, she could come anytime now." He actually looked worried. He was an OB/GYN. He should know there was nothing to worry about.

There was a knock on his door, and he jumped up, getting it like he was thankful for the interruption. "Edward, dear, could you please come help me with a light bulb?"

I looked to see who it was and saw it was the old lady up the street. "Sure, Thelma, just let me tell my company."

"Oh, bring her along, dear. We don't want to keep her waiting. I'll entertain her while you work."

Edward looked back at me questioningly. I just picked up my sweater, letting him know I was okay with it. He helped Thelma down the steps, and then he reached up, helping me down as well.

"Are you okay to walk?" he asked.

I just nodded and started waddling after them.

Edward helped her up the steps and then me as well. She walked us into a hallway with a broken light. I noticed a golf ball just a little ways down away from the broken glass. I had a feeling she had done this on purpose. I guess the tramps weren't kidding when they said it was a small town, and they all knew he wasn't getting around.

"Come into the kitchen with me, dear. We don't want you getting cut on the glass."

Edward pulled a stepladder out of a hall closet, which made me realize he most likely did this often.

"So, how do you know our Edward? He's a nice boy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he seems to be." I looked back down the hallway.

"Are you a patient of his? I haven't seen you around before."

"No, actually, I live in Seattle."

"Seattle, big place, lots of hoodlums. Didn't our Edward go to school up there?"

"Yes, actually, we were in college together."

"Oh, how nice, so you came down to visit with him?" I nodded yes and saw her chance a glance at my hand, looking for a ring. "Is there anyone missing you back in Seattle?"

"No, I don't think so." I shifted in the uncomfortable chair.

"You know, Edward is a woman's doctor. I hear he's a very good one. You should have him see about your little one there," she pointed at my belly. "He's safe to have around your womanhood. There's rumor that he's a little fruity," she flopped her hand like a gay person might.

I snickered and looked down the hall, where Edward was sweeping up the glass. "You can't get a safer person than a fruity man looking down there," she nodded at me.

"That's very true," I smirked. "I'm pretty sure he's not gay, though."

She actually pouted a little. "That Vera better not be right. He's not going into the priesthood, is he?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, dear, he's been here for nearly three years and hasn't once taken a lady on a date. A man has needs you know," she nodded at me like it was fact.

I giggled a little. "Oh, I know all about his needs."

She got a big grin on her face and leaned forward. "Do you now? He has been spending a lot of time up in Seattle. We all just assumed it was to help out his brother with the new baby."

"Yes, that's what he's been doing."

She actually pouted. "He's a sweet man like that."

I wondered if I should tell her about Elizabeth. The tramps knew, and so did everyone at the hospital. Edward came walking in, "All done. What have you ladies been chatting about?"

"Oh, I was just telling Thelma that you're not gay or going into the priesthood."

He started coughing, shocked. "Uh, no, no, I'm not."

"Yes, I know, I have proof." I patted my belly, and her whole face lit up.

"Really?"

Edward put his hand on my shoulder, and I saw him smiling widely. "Yes, actually, Bella is carrying my little girl." He smiled down at me. "We have a son as well."

"Oh, my, you're not gay then?"

"No, not gay," he said pulling me out of the chair. Then he did the cutest thing. He handed her the golf ball with a grin. "Tell Vera I said hi."

She giggled and waved at him. "Can't pull a fast one on you."

We weren't even all the way out the door yet, when I heard Thelma talking excitedly into the phone. "Vera, I have some great news on our Edward!"

I giggled as he helped me down the step. "So, you're her Edward?"

He shrugged. "I'm pretty sure all the old ladies claim me as theirs. They all seem to have light bulbs that need changing and leaky faucets. I clean the occasional gutter as well, while they pry, looking for something on me. I'm just really boring. I guess they didn't realize that, until you told them I'm not gay or a priest." He grinned to himself. "I should've come up with something exciting, like I was a newt, because I had to take care of the queen of England's health."

I started laughing, but slowed my steps when a contraction hit. They weren't uncommon when I was walking around, and if I laughed, I was almost guaranteed one.

"Are you alright? I noticed you've been rubbing your back a lot today. Is it hurting more than usual?"

"No, I'm fine. It was just sleeping in a strange bed, and Elizabeth doesn't like me shaking her around when I laugh."

He kept a close eye on me as we walked back to his house. I didn't have another contraction, so I think that helped him relax. It was hard to reconcile this new nice Edward with the old asshole one from before. Of course having several women come after you fraudulently would be enough to make anyone nervous.

I looked down at my oversized belly and frowned. He had originally thought I was a big fat liar, literally. I wasn't sure if I was happy about him accepting my kids as his, though. He smiled sweetly, as he took my hand in his warm one, to help me up his porch steps. I didn't know what to make of the kind stranger before me. I just knew being close to him made me nervous, and I wasn't sure in what way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Dollybigmomma beta'd this chapter. Check out the links for my Facebook page and the two sites I'm donating one shots to on my profile.**

**Chapter 9 - Stuck in a Jam**

Edward helped me get settled on his couch and went as far and fetching me an extra throw pillow. I was starting to believe that he wanted me to be comfortable. That was…until he opened his mouth.

"Can you tell me a little about yourself?" he asked. I hated talking about myself.

"Well, I went to school and was able to get my BA in business management. Little Tyler was timed just right, but I was too sick to walk with my graduating class." He frowned a little when I said that. "I've pretty much been a mom ever since. I work at Dr. Coust's office and spend my free time with Tyler."

"What do you two do together?"

"We go to the library and park, sometimes the zoo. I've read to him a lot lately, because I can do that sitting down with my feet up."

"Are they swelling? Have you had a problem with that?"

I could see how he was a good doctor. "No, I'm just on my feet a lot at work. I get tired out." He nodded, like he was filing that information away somewhere. "What do you do in your spare time?" I asked.

He looked around his house. "Well, I do yard work, and the bridge club keeps me busy with all the little things they need help with." He shrugged. "I spend a lot of time hanging out with my mom. My dad is away on business a lot. She's also the one who helped me get through dealing with the three other girls claiming to have my babies."

"Three?"

He rubbed his face and nodded yes. "Can you see why I was skeptical?"

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. I think maybe someone put them up to it. I'm not sure. They were trying to ruin my reputation as a doctor. They were going to blackmail me, wanting me to pay them to keep their mouths shut, or they would say I'd impregnated them while they were patients, but none of them ever were. There was one I hadn't ever even met before."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, that must have been a mess for him.

He shook his head. "It's nice living in a small town. I thought they'd turn against me when the girls came out, but they did the opposite. They rallied for me. I don't think the girls thought that'd happen. My mom got our lawyer on them, and they ran for the hills." I reached over and squeezed his hand. "I've been hiding here ever since, not wanting to go anywhere and risk it happening again."

"Do you think they'll come after you in Seattle?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm hoping they won't realize I moved back. Those kinds of allegations in a large city wouldn't be easily dismissed, but I don't want to be away from the kids."

I grimaced. I knew he wanted to be around the kids more. I just wasn't sure how much more. This obviously wasn't something that he'd get tired of, if he was willing to risk his livelihood to be there for the children.

He was looking a little worried. "Can I get you something, a drink or snack?"

"Maybe a snack, if that's alright."

"It's definitely alright, Bella. Please, don't hesitate to ask for anything you need."

I wondered if he was just being nice because I was pregnant. I tried to convince myself that was what it was. He had been awfully nice to the whores at the hospital. He might have just been a nice guy now and was nice to everyone. That might have been why they had him pinned as a priest. I felt a pang of disappointment. I didn't know why. I surely didn't want him to be interested in me…did I?

"What has you thinking so hard?" He set down a water bottle and a little tray with what I would guess was some sort of whole wheat crackers, cheese cubes and broccoli. He had some really expensive snacks.

"Cubed cheese is overpriced." I didn't know why I said that, but it made him snicker.

"I'll remember that next time I have a hankering for cubed cheese." He stole one off the tray, wearing that perfect smirk. No wonder I'd let him knock me up with my firstborn. He brushed my hair away from my cheek, and I found myself leaning into his touch, but I snapped myself out of it. I kept telling myself it was just because I was lonely. I couldn't lose myself in his sweet disposition. It had to be a ruse.

We snacked quietly for a while, before he cleared his throat. "Bella, have you given any consideration to letting me be there when Elizabeth is born?"

I really hadn't, but after spending the day alone with him, it seemed alright. It couldn't hurt to have an extra doctor on hand. I rubbed my belly, worried that this decision was going to cause me even more trouble, but his damn puppy eyes were getting to me. "You're not an ass."

"No, well, I was, but not now, please," he stumbled over his words.

"How are you going to get there in time? I'm all the way in Seattle."

"Is that a yes?" He looked so hopeful.

I nodded yes, and he hugged me hard. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be nothing but helpful and supportive. You won't regret it."

I sighed. "I hope not."

There was a knock on the door. He asked me to hold on, as he went to answer it. "Edward, dear, could you give us a hand? The girls were just over for tea and scones, and I can't get the jam jar open."

A group of older ladies pushed into the house, all looking around Edward, wearing huge smiles.

"Who's your friend, dear?"

"Ms. Vera, you know very well her name is Bella."

The other old biddies with her snickered and waved at me.

"So, she's having a baby," one noticed.

"Yes, Ms. Jane, she's have _my_ baby," he said fighting a big smile.

"I knew he was straight," the third hissed. We could all still hear it, though.

"Thank you for having faith in me, Ms. Mildred."

She actually reached up and patted his cheek, before she came and sat next to me.

"So, honey, do you know if you're having a boy or a girl? Our Edward is a woman's doctor. He can tell you if it's a boy or a girl," she announced proudly.

"She's having a girl," he said sitting next to me, but angled toward her, so it felt kind of like he was holding me. I needed to stop obsessing about the feel of his arms.

"A girl!" the hens clucked.

"When's the baby shower?" Vera fussed. "We have a mess of pink to knit!"

Edward looked at me, and I blushed, shrugging at him. "I don't know."

"Of course she doesn't know, it's supposed to be a surprise," Mildred insisted. "Don't worry, honey, we'll get with Esme. I'm sure she has everything planned out."

I was about to protest, but Edward whispered in my ear. "Do you really think our moms wouldn't plan one?" He raised his brow in challenge.

"You're right," I conceded, making him grin wider.

"Oh, honey, never tell a man he's right. It goes straight to his head," Vera said way too seriously. Her little friends agreed as well.

"I'll keep that in mind. I have a feeling Edward isn't right all that often, when he's out of his office."

"What man is?" Jane said fanning herself. Who carried fans anymore?

"Alright, ladies," Edward held out the long-opened jar of jam, "I think that's enough from the peanut gallery."

Instead of being offended, the ladies just giggled and let him shoo them out his front door.

"So, that's the bridge club. They keep the townspeople up on everyone else's business," he chuckled.

"They seem to like you."

He shrugged. "I'm something new to talk about."

"New? But you've been here almost three years."

"There aren't a lot of new people in town. If you've lived here for less than ten years, you're new."

"And your parents?"

"They've just passed the ten-year mark, so all the focus is on me."

"I'm sure my presence has caused quite a ruckus." His eyes glanced down at my belly, making me feel self-conscious. "I should probably get back. I'm sure the men will be back from fishing soon."

"Am I making you uncomfortable? Should I sit in the chair instead?" He actually looked worried.

"No, I just…"

"Just what?"

"I don't know what to do with you. I never planned on you being in our lives. In fact, that's specifically why I chose you. I thought you'd still be the horrible man I met in college."

He looked panicked, his eyes wide. "I want to be part of their lives."

"I know, Edward. Like I said, I just don't know what to do with you. It's a bit unsettling."

I shifted nervously, trying to get off the couch, but failing miserably. He didn't move to help me up. I think he was using my condition against me.

"I need to be a part of their lives, Bella, please. I don't know what to do to make you see that. I want to be there. I need it. I need something, and I have these kids I've fathered, and I'm a mess. I've been so stupid in the past, and I've tried to make up for my bad behavior. I've been a doctor and chose this field to help the women who are left in the wake of men like me. I don't know what else to do. Just tell me, and I'll do it. I know you don't really know me, but I want you to. I want to prove that I'm a good person, that I can be a good dad."

"I'm afraid you'll try and take my kids from me." He tugged on his hair and stood up, pacing. "You want to, don't you? You've seen my shabby little apartment, my crappy car. I'm sure you find our living situation less than adequate, growing up the way you did. I can be a good mom with what I have. I've been a good mom. I take care of Tyler and provide for him, just as well as my parents provided for me growing up. I'm the daughter of a plumber and a stay-at-home mom. I can't stay home myself, but I do spend all my free time with my son. I'm not neglectful. The courts won't give you custody. I'd fight you to the end for both of my babies. You can't have them!"

I didn't mean to lose it with him, but somehow, all my fears just got spewed at him.

He walked out of the room, and I was finally able to make my way off the couch and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to go home."

He grimaced, but nodded okay. "I'll take you back."

"No, I want to go home to my apartment."

"Because you're scared," he stated matter-of-factly.

I burst into tears, hating myself for not controlling my emotions. He took a few tentative steps toward me and finally pulled me into his arms. I knew I should have pushed him away. He was the enemy, yet I let him hold me, rub my back and kiss my head, as he tried to comfort me. I felt lost and confused, because as he held me, I didn't feel threatened by him.

"Please, let's make this work. I know you're a good mom. I won't hurt them. I won't hurt you."

I sobbed harder. "I don't believe you," I whispered and pushed away from him.

He looked so defeated. "Please, just give me a chance. Let me prove to you that I've changed." He looked on the verge of tears himself.

"I'm scared," I admitted.

He pulled me into his arms again, hugging me tightly. I hated that I loved the feel of it.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. You know very well that my mother and your mother would kick my ass, if I ever did anything to upset you. And I don't mean just an ear pulling, either. I'm pretty sure shovels would be involved," he joked, making me smile.

He must have felt my expression change against his chest, because he looked down at me with a soft smile and then kissed my forehead. "I can promise you that I will make mistakes, but I can also promise you that you'll always be backed by our families. My mother loves you." He brushed the hair away from my face. "Thank you so much for letting my mother be a part of Tyler's life. I know you didn't have to, but you letting her in meant the world to her…and to me."

"She's pretty great. We love having her around."

His smile grew even wider. "It's my goal to get you to feel the same way about me."

I chuckled.

"What'd ya say? Are you willing to give me a chance?"

"If I must, I must," I teased, and he gave me another tight hug. Him and his damn hugging! My stupid pregnancy hormones were driving me nuts, and his cologne smelled so good. We had to get out of there, before I made a fool of myself. "We should probably head back to your mom's house." I waddled toward the door.

"Good idea, we should go see if we can figure out what those two troublemakers are up to." He opened it and helped me down his front porch steps.

I knew they were up to something, and I suspected it was more than just planning a baby shower.


	10. Chapter 10

**Beta'd by Dollybigmomma, AT MY HOUSE! Hooray! She is visiting me. I've caught up with what I had prewritten, so updates will be a little slower, but you will still get one at least once a week.**

**Chapter 10 – On Relationships, Good and Bad**

When we arrived at Esme's, we could hear our mothers chatting away and giggling in the kitchen. "Oh, yes, we can drape the pink material over the archway," Esme said.

"Do you think he's made a pass at her yet?" my mother asked Esme.

"I don't think so. I hope he does soon. I know he's worried about spooking her. If he does, all this planning will be for naught."

I looked up at Edward, and he was blushing a deep red. "You don't want to make a pass at me, do you?" I asked skeptically.

He turned even redder.

"That's what I thought. I knew you weren't really interested in me," I said in a steady voice. I didn't think I was disappointed, but it sure felt like it. "You should set them straight," I said pointing to the kitchen, where our scheming mothers were planning something.

I went to step away from him and go lay down in my room, but he grabbed my arm. "My mom is right," he said anxiously, clearing his throat.

"What?"

He looked nervous and frustrated. "I don't want to spook you."

"Spook me?"

"My kids are the most important thing in my life right now and…and I'd like for you to be important, too. You are, already…I mean…as their mother. You're a very important person, Bella, and I…I…"

I let out a sigh. "You don't have to be involved with me to see the kids, Edward. You've worn me down enough with your saintly charm."

"Saintly?"

I laughed at his baffled look. "Please, the old ladies thought you were a priest, and you fussed over me all day, looking after me."

"I…um…"

"I'm going to go put my feet up for a while."

"Are they swelling? Are you feeling okay?" he asked looking down at my feet worried.

"I'm fine, and you just proved my point."

"OH! That should definitely do it!" my mother squealed in the other room.

"You really should take care of that," I said pointing in their general direction. As soon as he turned his head, I snuck off.

I had just made it to my room in his mother's house, when Edward rushed in. His face was flushed, and his eyes looked wild.

"Bella," he breathed, his chest heaving.

"What is it?" I asked worried.

He was back to being frustrated and tongue-tied.

"Edward?" I wasn't sure what he was doing in my room.

When I said his name, his eyes met mine, and a determined look crossed his face. "Fuck it," he said and grabbed me. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine. He kissed me deeply and passionately, and the hussy in me moaned and dug her fingers into his hair. I was in so much trouble.

We kept kissing, barely parting to breathe in between kisses. It felt like I'd been starving for him. The only thing that slowed me was my sore feet. I shifted my stance, not wanting to stop, not wanting to pull out of his arms, but after the fourth shift, he noticed. Of course he noticed. This new Edward was attentive and sweet and quickly picked up on my discomfort.

He pulled back slowly and cupped my face, smiling. "Let's get your feet up." He helped me onto the bed, and like the saint he was, he took off my shoes for me and started rubbing my feet. I moaned loudly. Any passerby would think he was fucking me hard if they over heard it. In fact, that was exactly what happened. Both our mothers peeked their heads in the door. But their giddy grins fell, when they saw we were both fully dressed, and the only touching going on was a foot rub.

"Was there something you needed?" I asked Esme and my mom, letting them know that I knew they were there.

"No, we just wanted to check to make sure you were alright. Is there anything you need while we're up here?" Esme asked.

"No, we're good, thank you," Edward said dismissively.

I snorted at his blatant disregard of their presence. Both our mothers looked a little shamed and left, shutting the door behind themselves.

Edward got up and locked it. I sat up nervously on the bed, not sure what he was doing. He climbed on the bed next to me, and I felt like an idiot. I had given in to kissing him like a slut, and now he probably expected me to put out…again. There was no reason for him to believe that I'd say no. I'd acted like a whore with him before.

"Edward, I'm not ready to…"

"I just want to talk, Bella," he said, sitting back against the headboard of the bed. "Do you regret kissing me back?" he asked worried.

I shrugged. "I don't think so."

He gave me a small smile. "Would you be open to doing it again sometime?"

I shrugged again, feeling like an idiot. "I know you probably think I'm easy, because of the way I've behaved in the past, but I'm not really a floosy. I don't sleep around with people, and definitely not strangers. You're the only exception I've ever made."

He nodded like he heard me, but I wasn't sure he actually believed me. He fluffed a pillow closer to him and patted the bed. "Come over here."

I looked at him hesitantly.

"I'd like to get to know you better and maybe have you get to know me a little better, too."

I sat up against the headboard, but didn't move closer to him. I had a feeling that if I got too close to him, I'd end up under him, and it wouldn't have necessarily been all his doing. I eyed him, wondering if he had really changed at all, or if he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. The best way to find out the truth would be to talk to him. "Why were you a jerk in college? I get why you were one recently, but you were horrible in school. That was before the women had come after you."

He frowned down at his hands, and I crossed my arms across my chest, letting him know with my body language that I wasn't giving up. I doubted he could come up with any sort of excuse or explanation.

"Well?" I pushed.

He rubbed his face and looked to be in pain. "There really is no excuse for my behavior."

"Obviously. I just don't understand how you could've behaved like that with Esme as your mom."

He got up off the bed, and I relaxed a little more. I could tell he was trying to think of something to say to me.

"My mother is different…old-fashioned. I had a few bad experiences with girls…the kind that made me believe women like my mother didn't exist anymore, and so they didn't deserve respect."

"How on earth could you make such a stupid assumption?"

He slouched in the vanity chair across the room. "I told you, there was no excuse for my behavior, and then I fell into the habit of mistreating women."

"But why did it start in the first place?" I was getting a little frustrated with him.

"We're all originally from Chicago. That's where I grew up, that was where I went to school, and I had a scholarship to go to college there."

Now I was confused.

"We had to leave, because of a girl, a few of them, really. I've never had good luck with women. I seem to attract bad ones."

I tried not to take his words personally.

"I took advantage of it in college. I hadn't in high school. I wasn't like that. I had one steady girlfriend from eighth grade to eleventh."

"What happened?"

"My best friend got her pregnant."

I gasped, shocked.

"Yeah, I didn't know if I should be relieved or pissed, when she confessed the baby wasn't mine. Everything was so messed up after that, and things just seemed to get worse. I had a friend who was a girl. I'd known her since second grade. We weren't really close, but after she heard about what happened, she made her move. I know that's what it was now. It didn't take her long to swoop in and play my rebound. Again, I was stupid and trusting, and I thought she loved me. I was thinking everything was going to be okay, and I was finally getting over my ex-girlfriend. Then I walked in on Mandy, my new girlfriend, trying to take my dad's pants off."

"WHAT?" I yelled in disbelief.

"My dad had shoved her away and told her to leave. I had sort of overheard parts of their conversation before I came into the room. He was rebuffing her and scolding her, telling her that her behavior was inappropriate. I walked in and yelled at her, pissed and hurt. I couldn't believe she used me to get to my dad. She'd had a crush on him for years."

"I'm so sorry, Edward."

"After her was Sabrina. We couldn't stay in Chicago anymore after that. There was too much scandal attached to our family."

"Who was Sabrina?"

"She was my biggest mistake." He took a few deep breaths and then looked up at me determined. "Keep in mind that everything she said was a lie, and there were eyewitnesses who proved my innocence."

"Innocence?"

He rubbed his face and looked so exhausted. "I went to a house party. I wanted to blow off some steam after things went south with Mandy. My ego had taken a major hit. My first love ran off with my best friend, and my second girlfriend had the hots for my dad, not me. I needed some validation." He paused, as if trying to find the right words. "I wasn't really drunk, and neither was she. I don't think she'd actually had anything to drink besides water that night. Sabrina came on to me strong, and I liked it. I needed it. I let her drag me off into another room and…" he closed his eyes and screwed up his face in displeasure. "Thankfully, she forgot to lock the door, and two different couples tried sneaking into our room, only to find her riding me and yelling at them to shut the door, that the room was taken."

I didn't understand what the problem was. He said he wasn't drunk, and he had wanted to be with her.

"A week later, she told me that she was going to tell her parents I raped her if I didn't pay her off. I thought she was fucked in the head and told her no way. I wasn't the first guy she'd been with. Things got bad fast after that. Her parents pressed charges. I was seen as the bad guy. No one believed me at first, but we were finally able to track down the people who had butted into the room when things were going down. All four of them testified in my behalf, clearing me of the charges, but the damage was done. I lost my scholarship, and some people thought my family had paid the witnesses to lie.

"My parents moved us to Washington to get away from everyone. They went to Forks, and I went to Seattle to school. I swore off girls at first, but after sitting back and watching enough of my buddies play the field, I decided to do the same. I used women and refused to let anyone close to me.

"I wanted validation, proof that I was wanted for more than just my family or parents' money. I took what I wanted and gave nothing in return to boost my own self-esteem, and I hurt so many people while doing it, including myself. I was raised better than that, and my behavior weighs heavily on my conscience now."

"What made you stop being that way?" I asked.

"By the time we met, I'd already become a resident. As a resident, they move you to different departments, so you can decide if you'd like to specialize in anything. It's also required, so you have a basic knowledge of things and know when to refer your patient to a specialist. It wasn't long after Tanya, that I was transferred to the mental health ward." He grimaced and covered his face for a moment. "I think that was my hardest rotation. So many fucked up people came through, and so many were women who'd had mental breakdowns because fuck-ups like me who'd hurt them. I was also given a little more insight as to why the girls from my high school acted the way they did. Hell, it was obvious to me even back then that Mandy was fucked in the head and had daddy issues. I know my dad is good looking, but he was twenty-eight years older than her. That's just gross."

I laughed at his disgusted face.

"After that, the guilt piled on hard. I knew better, was raised better, and I couldn't continue with my bad behavior anymore. I never told my parents what I did, but word had gotten back to them on a few different things, even before my move to Forks. Emmett, my brother, was living in Seattle, he knew some of what I was doing and didn't approve. He and my dad sat me down and tried to have a heart to heart, but it was too early, my ego was still wounded from the mess in Chicago. I didn't think they understood. My brother was happily married, and my dad…even if he had nothing to do with Mandy's behavior, I still held it against him at the time.

"After my stint in the mental ward, I asked for a transfer to Forks General and went home to my parents. I couldn't face the girls I had been with. I didn't want to see any of them. It seemed like there were too many to avoid. Forks seemed like a good place to hide, and I knew my parents would forgive me. I've been on my best behavior ever since."

"Well, until you met me."

He groaned and climbed back on the bed next to me. "I swear, Bella, I'm not usually like that. I hadn't drank so much in a couple of years. My body wasn't used to the alcohol, and then the stress of bringing another shit storm down on my family," he rubbed his face. "I'm sorry I was a jerk that first night in the bar. The second, I really don't have an excuse for myself. I was a little out of it, but I still knew what I was doing. I expected you to slap me when I made that comment about your tits." He laughed. "You really threw me for a loop. I know why now, sort of. Why don't you tell me the real reason you did what you did that night?"

It was my turn to feel embarrassed and ashamed. "I already told you, I wanted another baby and didn't want to look like a slut. Ironic, right? I had to act like a slut, so people wouldn't think I was one."

"But why did you want to have another baby?"

I rubbed my belly and smiled when Elizabeth kicked. "My reasoning is stupid, now that I look back on it. I didn't really have any interest in dating. I was content in my life with Tyler. My parents didn't push me to have more kids, not really. My mom just made some very valid points. Of course, she was hoping I'd start dating and get married, before I added to my family like she suggested. I just didn't see a reason why I should, though, if I could get what I wanted and still have my uncomplicated life with Tyler." I shifted, trying to get more air. The baby had been kicking up in my ribs more.

"So when you contacted me, it wasn't to tell me about Tyler?" Edward asked sadly.

"No, you already knew that. I already told you that I planned on using you. I guess I was no better than you were back in your college days. I planned to get what I wanted and disappear. I assumed you wouldn't mind. You seemed to enjoy yourself."

He chuckled. "It'd been a while. I realized on the way to the hotel room I was giving you a breast exam. It was clean, by the way, but you should still do your monthly one."

"Um, thanks?" I said before laughing at him.

He smiled. I was glad for the shift in the conversation. I wanted to get away from the heavy topics.

He sat back against the headboard again and patted the same spot as before next to him. This time, I didn't hesitate to scoot next to him. When he wrapped his arms around me, I knew I'd made the right choice.


	11. Chapter 11

**Beta'd by Dollybigmomma. Check out my profile for links to Fandom for Autism and Fandom for Domie. Also follow the link and like my Savanna van Smutsmut face book page.**

**Chapter 11- On Reactions, Good and Bad**

Even with explanations, I was still wary of Edward. His interest in me didn't make sense. I was a conniving woman who stole his sperm for her own purpose. I was no better than the girls who had done him wrong before. I had used him, and he didn't deserve that. It was difficult for me to believe he could look past that.

I had told him the truth the first chance I had. I wasn't going to hide it from him. If he was going to give me crap, then he had to know where I was coming from. I thought for sure it would turn him off from me, and he'd not want to be involved with me and possibly Tyler. I honestly wasn't sure how he'd react, when I'd told him at Burger King that day. I guessed I was hoping he'd storm out angry and never come back. Somehow, it'd had the opposite effect on him. And now, after hearing his history with women, I honestly didn't know why he was still talking to me, let alone cuddling with me. He had to be nuts or have an ulterior motive.

Needless to say, I had to stay on guard and try and keep my loneliness at bay. He was a very, _very_ attractive man, and his supposed interest in me was tempting. I wouldn't lie…I was horny, and I had a feeling he'd be good for another round. I just wasn't sure it was a good idea to get involved with him like that.

Kissing him, though…I needed to stop that. For some reason, when I was in his arms, and his lips were on mine, I didn't want it to stop. All reason went out the window, and my body shouted, "Consequences be damned, just do it!" and I wanted to.

We cuddled on the bed a little more, talking about things he'd like to do with Tyler. He was hoping to go to the zoo and maybe take me with him. "We can wait until you're on leave, and I'm in Seattle. Then we can walk around the zoo. It'll help your body get ready for labor." His hand ran down my belly, and little Elizabeth shifted under it.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked nervously, and I shrugged. "Do you feel comfortable here…welcome?" he asked.

"Yeah, your mom is sweet. The room is lovely. I just…" _think she went overboard._

"I think the baby shower is probably going to be here. So at least you'll get to use the room twice," he said with a grimace.

I shifted and tried to push the baby down out of my lungs.

"Bella, would you be open to maybe…visiting more? At least until my transfer comes through? I know it's a lot to ask and so much easier for me to come see you, but you'll be on leave and…and…I'll have to…I'd just really like to see…spend time with…could you please just think about it, maybe coming down again after the baby's born?" he fumbled, and I nodded to appease him.

"I need to use the bathroom," I said scooting off the side of the bed. I needed to put some space between us. I was feeling way too agreeable. I headed for the door, so I could use the bathroom and be further away from Edward and the bed.

"Why don't you use yours?" he asked confused.

"My what?"

"Your bathroom." He pointed to what I thought was the closet door. I waddled in the direction of it, curious. When I opened it, I was blown away. I should have known Esme would have put me in a fancy master-like-suite.

"It has a nice deep soaking tub. Babies float. You should try it out before you leave, give your hips and back a break," he said running his hand down my back and cupping my hip. I wanted him to pull me closer to him, and I knew I needed to step away from him. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"That sounds nice, I'll have to give it a try."

He kissed the top of my head and paused at the door before he stepped out. "If you need help to get out of the tub, you can call me." He waved his cell phone at me and walked out. I didn't think I'd call him, but having my cell phone so I could maybe call my mother to help pry me out of the tub would be a good idea.

I started the water in the tub and then used the bathroom. I set my phone on the floor next to the tub so I could reach it and proceeded to fall in love with the tub. I slipped down in the warm water, and the baby did float up off my hips, it was heavenly. I let the water cool twice and just added more warm water to it. I didn't want to get out. I could breathe and relax. I actually fell asleep for a while.

When I woke up, it was dark outside, but someone had come in and turned on the light for me and left me a robe. If I wasn't so relaxed, I would've been embarrassed. I just didn't have it in me to care.

My stomach growled, and I knew I had to relent and get out of the tub. I sat up and tried to get into a better position, so I could get out. Just like Edward predicted, I was stuck. I needed something to pull me a little, so I could shift more onto my knees, but there wasn't a bar on the wall like in my little apartment. It was a ground floor one and handicap accessible, this bathroom was not.

I sat back and contemplated just staying there, but my stomach growled again, and Elizabeth gave me a good kick. She was hungry, too.

"Alright, alright," I said rubbing my belly. I picked up my phone and saw I barely had one bar. I hoped my mother had better reception wherever she was. I called her, but it went straight to a recorded message, saying she was out of service range. I sank back into the tub and looked at my phone, wondering if I was brave enough to call Esme. I could ask her to send my mom up. When I opened my phone screen, I saw I had a text.

_Call me when you're ready-Edward_

Dare I call him? I looked at the robe on the counter, and I wondered if he was the one who had brought it in. He had already seen me naked, but of course I wasn't pregnant at the time.

I shot off a text to him: _Did you leave me the robe? _

I had to know if he'd been in here, if he'd seen me naked like this or not.

_Yes, I was worried and wanted to check on you. I left the robe and turned on the light._

Well, at least he was honest. Was I brave enough to call him in for help? No, I wasn't. I sent a quick text and asked him if he knew where my mom was.

His answer was instant: _She and my mother are out shopping again. _

It was official, I was stuck. If I wanted out, it'd have to be him.

I felt my hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up all over and then washed my face. I was hoping I looked alright and finally got up the nerve to text him.

_Can you come help me out?_

He didn't reply, but I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Edward poked his head in, smiling. "I told you you'd like the tub. You feeling better?" he asked walking over to me.

"Yeah," I shifted trying to get into a position so I could get up. In one smooth movement, he had his arm around my back and under my arms and lifted me with ease out of the tub.

The weight of the baby hung heavy on my body, making me groan.

"Are you alright?" he asked sounding worried.

"Yeah, the baby weight is all back in place, though."

He gave me a soft smile and wrapped the robe around me. I realized his eyes stayed pretty focused on my face the whole time he was moving me.

"Thank you for helping me," I said blushing. My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

"Sounds like it's time to feed the baby. You get dressed, and I'll see what's left in the kitchen."

"I missed dinner? What time is it? Where's Tyler?"

"Tyler is with our dads still. They only caught small fish and a frog. Your father said he could keep the frog, so after dinner they went to the pet store to buy a tank for it. I don't think they'll be gone too much longer."

"So we're here alone?" I didn't know why I asked that.

His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer to me. He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, while his other hand cupped my hip and pulled me to him. My baby belly bumped into him.

I knew I should stop him. I was pretty sure that when I put my hands up on his chest, it was to push him away from me. Somehow, though, wires got crossed, and I ended up pulling him closer and kissing him. He deepened it and lifted me, setting me on the counter. My robe fell open, reminding me that I was naked. It was enough to pull me back to reality. I had to stop him. I was pretty sure he was just trying to seduce me, so he could be a part of my son's life. I couldn't let the charming Edward Cullen get the better of me.

Of course, his hand slid between my thighs, and my judgment went from being clouded to a deep fog of pregnancy hormones. It didn't take long for me to whine out my release, and he left me confused and panting, when he stepped back and closed my robe.

"Let's get you dressed and fed," he said helping me off the counter. I tried to discreetly glance at his pants, wondering if he was turned on at all, or if his little display of attraction was just for show. He left the room before I had a chance to tell.

I dressed for bed, since it was so late. It was nearly eight o'clock, and I hoped that my dad would bring Tyler back soon. He knew I liked to keep him on a schedule. Instead of going straight downstairs, I went across the hall to Tyler's room and laid out his clothes then went to the guest bath to ready the bathroom supplies.

"Bella?" I heard Edward looking for me. I considered not answering. I didn't want to make more of a fool of myself. "There you are. What are you doing?"

"Just getting things ready for when Tyler comes home. I need to keep him on his schedule. I hope the men make it back soon."

"I'm sure they will. Why don't you join me in the kitchen for some dinner?"

My stomach growled again, and I wondered how I was able to put off eating so long.

As we ate in silence, I mentally reprimanded myself. I was a hussy. I'd never thought of myself as easy. I'd only ever slept with two men, but it was obvious that the second man had turned me into a slut. I had to watch myself around him. I was sure he thought I was loose…hell, I thought I was loose. Because around him, I was. I didn't know what had gotten into me, but I needed to be careful, before Edward ended up inside me.

I was relieved, when I heard the front door open, and Tyler called for me. I answered him happily, grateful for the buffer. Tyler wrapped his arms around me and then put a frog right in my face. We were literally nose to nose. "Look!"

I wasn't a squeamish person, so I was able to hold my smile. "Do you want me to kiss it to see if it's a prince?"

Tyler pulled his frog back against his chest, appalled. "No, yucky!"

I laughed as I watched my dad help Tyler settle down and put the frog away.

"No prince for me?" I said with a mock pout.

"I wouldn't say that," Edward said with a wink and then cleared our plates. I knew then I had to do something about our "relationship" and fast…otherwise, I'd be screwed, and not in a good way. Well, maybe that way, too, but I wanted to avoid getting hurt, and I wasn't sure how to go about it. I had a feeling whatever I decided; things were going to turn bad between us fast when I did it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Dollybigmomma beta'd this chapter.**

**Chapter 12 – On Roommates, Good and Bad**

The baby shower was set for the following weekend. Edward decided he'd come into town on Thursday night and drive me down on Friday. Apparently, my parents were going to be there early on Friday, so I wouldn't have anyone to follow me in my sad car. I didn't want to skip out early, because Friday was my last day before my maternity leave started. I knew they were having a surprise party for me at work, and I didn't want to miss it.

Edward dropped me off at work Friday morning, insisting it was on his way. He was taking Tyler out for breakfast. It was their first day alone together. I would have thought I'd be more anxious about it, but I wasn't. Somewhere along the way, I ended up trusting Edward with my son. I'd seen them interact, and Edward never seemed lost. When it came to being a daddy, he was a natural. It made my stomach turn and my head hurt just thinking about it. I wanted to trust him with more than just our children. I was thankful he lived out of town, so it was easy for me to distance myself from him after last weekend's events. God, I was so confused.

He called and chatted with me and Tyler frequently during the week. I didn't know what to make of it when he said he missed me. I think I answered back, "That's nice." I really was out of practice when it came to relationships and dating, but I wasn't sure if we were doing either of those.

I knew I'd have to talk to him about our relationship soon. With others present, he didn't do more than give me a light hug and a kiss on the cheek. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed. Of course, if he blatantly kissed me in front of our family, our mothers would have called the clergy and had us married before we could come up for air.

I decided Edward putting in to be transferred to a Seattle hospital wasn't a bad idea. We could pursue things a little more discreetly, if that was what I decide to do. I just couldn't see why he'd be interested in me. I considered myself pretty, but at the moment, I was big as a house, and what little he knew of me wouldn't logically make him want to trust me, especially when it came to his track record with women.

I spent most of my last day training my temp who would be filling in for me for the next couple of months. Her name was Melissa, and she seemed nice enough. I was surprised to learn we both had attended the same college, and she had graduated two years before me.

I was called into the break room, and everyone was there. Melissa stayed out front, just in case there was a walk-in, but other than her, everyone was in the back. The cake was perfect, and the little outfits and boxes of diapers were much appreciated. I was a crying happy mess, hugging everyone.

I heard my son squeal, "Mommy work!" and looked out the window to see Edward setting him on the sidewalk. Tyler took off like a shot toward the front doors, so I waddled down the hallway to meet them. Tyler headed toward my office, and I caught him in the hallway just outside my door. I took him back to get some cake and headed toward the front to show Edward back, so he could have a slice, too. I was just out of sight, when I heard Melissa greet Edward.

"Edward Cullen, look at you. I'm surprised you weren't beaten to a pulp and left for dead."

"Excuse me?" he sounded worried.

"Oh, I know you don't remember me. You don't remember anyone, do you? We went to school together. Apparently, you got me and my twin mixed up, at least that was your story at the time."

"I…ah…"

"Melissa and Miranda," she snapped. "You think us being twins would make us more memorable, but I heard we weren't the only twins you screwed, now were we?"

"I'm sorry, Miranda-" Edward started, only to be cut off.

"I'm Melissa," she laughed blackly. "I'm surprised you're still in the area. I know there was an old flame of yours trying to gather a group of us 'cast-aways' together to exact revenge. I wouldn't stick around if I were you. Of course, it might be fun to watch the great Edward Cullen go down in flames. I heard you were a gynecologist. Still can't get enough pussy, can you?"

"I went into that field for other reasons."

"I'm sure your other victims will come forward and get your ass thrown in jail soon. Bubba's gonna love your pretty face."

"Everyone I was with in college were willing participants."

"That didn't make you any less of an ass. I've got a few phone calls to make," she said pulling out her cell phone. She headed back toward the break room, passing me on the way. I heard the first part of her conversation. "Guess who's in town," she said to the person on the phone, and I was inclined to follow her, but then I heard our front bell ring on the desk and knew Edward was waiting for me.

"Hey, Edward," I greeted him with a smile and a hug. He kissed my cheek and gave me a weak smile.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Just about, let me say goodbye first, and then we can get out of here."

He nodded and took a seat in the waiting room.

Dr. Coust and the others helped me carry the gifts to Edward's car. I noticed Melissa's eyes linger on my son, as Edward carried him out. She looked confused, especially when he rubbed my shifting belly, after he buckled our son in the car.

"It was nice to meet you, Edward," Dr. Coust said. "Be sure to call us after the baby comes."

"We will," Edward answered with a smile. I glanced over at Melissa again and saw her pull out her phone and start texting someone. I could swear she took a picture of us, and it was very unnerving.

"We'll drop the stuff off at your apartment first and then head out to my mother's."

I nodded in agreement, still distracted by Melissa's behavior.

"Are you alright?" he asked after a span of silence.

"Yeah, I was just wondering how you know Melissa?"

He looked slightly panicked, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I…ah…she was someone I went to college with."

"One of the girls you slept with?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"No sleep!" Tyler shouted from the back seat, reminding me that this wasn't a conversation we should be having in front of him.

"We'll talk about this later," I said. Edward looked relieved.

It didn't take long for us to get the car unloaded of gifts and packed with our bags. We went through a drive-thru for dinner and hit the highway. Little Tyler dozed off not long after he finished off his happy meal.

Edward and I sat in relative silence, and I wondered how I could bring up the topic of Melissa and the supposed scorned ex looking for revenge.

"We should probably wake him at the next rest stop," Edward said, breaking the silence.

"He's going to be a bear to put down tonight," I said with a sigh.

"I'll take care of it, if you'd like. Bedtime was my favorite when I was a kid growing up."

"Sounds good. I'm thinking about soaking in that tub again." I moaned quietly with my eyes closed just thinking about it.

I felt Edward touch my thigh and squeeze it. I looked over at him and saw him clench his jaw. I was debating between telling him to not touch me and letting him leave his hand there.

"Be sure to call me when you want to get out. I'll gladly stay and help you again," he said in a husky voice.

I glanced at his pants, curious to see if he was hard, and noticed there was something stirring there in his loose-fitting jeans. I had a feeling he didn't wear the trendy skinny jeans for a reason.

"My mom will probably be around to help me out this time."

He frowned, taking his hand back. "Oh…yeah…" He looked sad, and I didn't know why it bothered me.

"Can you tell me about Melissa and this ex hell-bent on revenge?" I asked, changing the subject.

He scowled, and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "Don't worry about them. I'm not going to let them stop me from moving to Seattle. My kids are worth whatever trouble they plan to cause."

"I don't want my children being put at risk because some nut is after you. Do you at least know who the ex is?"

"I have an idea, but I don't know for sure. Things have been quiet since the last time they came after me. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep my moving quiet, so hopefully they won't find me too quickly."

"Edward, that girl sounded ready to feed you to the wolves. What on earth did you do to her?"

"I've been trying to remember. I think I know who she is, but it was a long time ago. I'm pretty sure I wasn't sober. If she's who I think she is, I can understand why she was upset, but I really didn't know there were two of them."

I laughed despite the serious nature of the conversation. "So did you date them both or…"

"Not quite. They were both at the same party. I didn't realize there were two of them, until I told one of them to meet me upstairs, and I'd bring her a drink. On my way up, I ran into the twin, thinking it was her, and escorted her up to the room the other was waiting in."

"What's the big deal? I'm sure they get mixed up all the time. So you invited them both to your room, it would've been their choice to follow you and stay or go."

"Ah…yeah…I had kind of already started some major foreplay with them both. One in the laundry room and the other in the bathroom, before I suggested we move to the bedroom."

"Major foreplay?" I asked curious.

"They may have given me head?" he said cringing. "I swear, I thought it was the same girl, though!"

For some insane reason, I giggled. "What did you do when you got them both into your room?"

He blushed. "I was a little drunk and an asshole."

"What did you say to them?" I pushed.

"'Sweet, there's two of you. I can handle that.' They weren't interested in a threesome. They both stormed out together, but one of them came back about twenty minutes later, so she couldn't have been that pissed. I don't know which one it was, though."

"Oh my gosh, that's nuts," I guffawed.

"I think you're a nut, if you think that's funny," he said smirking at me.

"I just can't believe one of them came back."

He shrugged, and the car fell silent again.

I needed to ask him about the ex-girlfriend looking for revenge, though. "Do you know who it is that's out to get you?"

He frowned.

"Edward, I need to know."

"I'm not sure. I tried to find connections between the women who accused me last time. I thought the one who I didn't know at all would lead me to the ringleader, but I wasn't able to pin them down. I do know it's someone from college…unfortunately, that's a very long list."

"You need to narrow it down before you move to Seattle. Melissa said you had an ex who was trying to recruit others to go against you. That person would have to know you well enough to know who your conquests were."

"Do you think you could get Melissa to talk to you? How well do you know her?" he asked hopefully.

"I just met her today. I don't know her well at all. She seemed pretty nice, until I heard what she said to you. She sounded crazy. I think she may have taken a picture of us and Tyler. It's freaking me out a little to have a crazy person looking at a picture of my kid."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'll try and get it taken care of as soon as possible. Maybe my lawyer can get Melissa to talk. You're always welcome to hide out in Forks until it's settled." He gave me a cheesy grin.

"Nice try. I already agreed to come down after the baby was born. Don't push your luck, Cullen."

After the long car ride, my body was sore. I took Edward up on his offer and left him to put Tyler to bed, while I went to go soak in the heavenly tub.

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up in cold water and light knocking on the door. "Bella, are you alright?"

"Yeah," I answered sitting up and yawning.

"Everyone has gone to bed. I stayed behind, because I wanted to say goodnight. Are you ready to get out? Do you need a hand?"

"My mom's asleep?" I pouted.

"Yes, it's nearly one o'clock in the morning," he answered back.

"Really?" I groaned.

"Would you like my help?" he asked again.

I let out a defeated sigh, so much for keeping distance and sanity between us. "Yes, please."

He came in holding a towel and the big pink robe. He looked happy but tired. He set the stuff down, and just like last time, he scooped me out of the tub like it was nothing. He quickly wrapped the robe around me and hugged me close. "Are you cold?" he asked.

I was a little before, but when I snuggled deeper into his arms, I wasn't anymore. "I'm fine," I answered muffled by his chest.

He chuckled and rubbed my back. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and his hand slipped down, cupping by butt, pulling me tighter against him. I knew I had to slow things down. "Edward," I wondered if he heard me say his name against his chest.

His other hand rubbed my neck and then moved to my chin, tipping it so I'd look up at him. I knew he wanted to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me. The baby kicked, knocking me back into reality, and I pulled away before he could get any closer with those voodoo lips of his.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"I think we should take things slow, if at all."

"If at all?" he asked confused.

"I'm not sure us being in a relationship, I mean a serious physical one, is a good idea. You don't have to seduce me to see your kids. I'm willing to be just friends and let you see them." I walked out of the bathroom, not wanting to hear his answer. I started digging in my bag for my pajamas and was surprised when Edward set a flannel pair on the bed next to my bag. They matched my robe.

"These should fit you," he said stiffly.

"I brought some. They're in here somewhere."

He let out a sigh and flopped back on the bed, closing his eyes for a second, while I continued to dig for my clothes. I couldn't find my pajamas, but I did find my underwear. I guess Edward was going to get his wish of me wearing the matching flannels. I debated asking him to leave so I could get dressed, but then he snored softly, and I thought I was in the clear.

Once I was dressed and ready for bed, I tapped his leg, hoping to wake him. I was exhausted. I was sure his parents had someplace for him to sleep, because I didn't think he should be driving anymore, even if it was just across a small town.

"Edward," I said his name, but he didn't budge. "Dr. Cullen."

"How far is she dilated?" he said sitting up abruptly. He looked around confused. "Oh, Bella, I'm sorry. I'd better head home."

"You should probably stay the night. I'm sure your parents have a room somewhere here for you." They had one for everyone else. There had to be a vacant bed.

He rubbed his face. "No, sorry, Hotel Cullen has no vacancies. Everyone from out of town is taking up the rooms." He stood up stretching and stumbled a little. There was no way he could safely drive home.

I looked at the bed and then back to him, as he slowly dragged his body toward the door. I let him go as far as the hallway before I cracked. "Edward, you can stay with me tonight, but I need you not to touch me."

He leaned on the hall wall and yawned, setting me off. He wore a pout and looked down the hall again, like he was still considering leaving. "I'm sorry, I guess I assumed too much after we kissed last weekend."

"I'm just not ready for us to be something more, so I think it best if we take a step back from the physical aspect of our relationship and just focus on being friends."

He nodded sadly.

"Now come to bed. I can't let you try and drive home like that."

He took a few steps in my direction, and I knew he'd follow. I climbed into bed and flipped down the covers on his side. He kicked off his shoes and pants, not saying a word, and slipped into bed in his boxers and t-shirt. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was snoring again.

I lay awake, watching the man next to me sleep. I still wasn't sure what to make of him. I trusted him with my kids, but I didn't yet trust him with my heart, and I didn't know if I ever fully would. Right now, tentative friendship was all I was comfortable with, especially with a vengeful ex lurking around. I had to do whatever was necessary to protect my children, even if that meant us not being around their father.


	13. Chapter 13

**This is Beta'd by Dollybigmomma**

**The Cutting Edge had been nominated by TwiFanFictionRecs as one of the contenders of the top 10 fics finished in January. Please go vote and also check out the huge collection of awesome completed fic at twifanfictionrecs . com**

**Chapter 13 – On Feelings, Good and Bad**

I woke the next morning to Edward touching me and humping my backside. I quickly pulled away, getting out of bed before I gave in, only to realize he was still asleep. After a moment alone in bed, he rolled over and went back to snoring. I looked at the clock, and it was a bit after eight. I put on my robe and went to check on Tyler. He wasn't in his room. I heard my mom talking downstairs and then him giggling. I debated going down for breakfast or to Tyler's room to try and sleep, but then thought better of it. Tyler would be going back in there to play soon, so I made my way to my room and used the bathroom. I stood at the bedside again, watching Edward once more. He was sprawled on his belly, so I figured it was safe to get back into the bed with him. I dozed off once more fairly quickly, grateful for the chance to sleep in.

When I woke the second time, I was curled up next to Edward, with my head resting on his shoulder and my arm wrapped around him. My leg was thrown over his, and my baby bump was squished into his side. The hard kicking protest of our daughter was likely what had woken me up.

I felt him rub my back and looked up to see he was awake.

"Good morning," he said with a smile, and I pulled away and checked the time again. It was 10:30am. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I wasn't sure how to answer him. I did feel rested, but then again, his sleep humping had woken me up earlier. "I think so."

"Good, let's go get you some breakfast."

He helped me out of bed and put on his pants. When we entered the kitchen, both our mothers were smiling a little too widely.

"Good morning, you two. Did you have a good night?" my mother asked smirking.

Emmett walked in carrying little Charlotte and punched Edward's shoulder, wearing a cheeky grin.

"We just slept. I was too tired to drive, so Bella suggested I stay."

"That was very sweet of you, Bella," Esme said with a huge smile.

My stomach growled loudly, embarrassing me.

"Bear on the loose," Emmett teased.

"We saved a couple of plates of food for you two. Edward, why don't you warm them up?"

"Where's Tyler?" I asked.

"He's out back playing on the swing set. Rose is watching him," my mother answered. I didn't know Rose well, but she seemed nice and capable. I also trusted my mother's judgment of her. If she believed Rose could handle watching Tyler, then I knew he'd be safe.

Edward ate quickly and excused himself to go play with Tyler. When I checked on them, I thought it was cute to see Edward at the top of the slide with Tyler in his lap, ready to go down.

"Wee!" they both cheered, and when they had reached the bottom, they high-fived each other. They moved to the tire swing, and instead of setting Tyler in it alone, Edward climbed on it as well, and then he held him while he spun them around.

Tyler's giggles filled the backyard, and I knew by the way he clung to Edward and the joy they shared, that I could never keep them apart. Watching him with my son made me want him more, and I was getting frustrated with myself. It would be so easy to fall in love with Edward, but I knew it was dangerous as well. I couldn't let myself be blinded by love, leaving myself vulnerable to be taken advantage of and hurt.

It wasn't long before the house filled with baby shower guests. The bridge club, as Edward so lovingly referred to them, greeted me with hugs, cheek kisses and belly rubs. Oddly enough, it felt kind of nice to be so warmly welcomed by them. They were all excited to see me.

The old ladies weren't kidding when they said they had to knit a mess of pink, because they had. Some also had sewed and crocheted things. Esme seemed to have gone a little overboard with the baby gifts and had purchased several things for Tyler as well.

Edward was forced to attend, but only the second half. The bridge club doted on little Tyler, gushing over how cute he was. More than once, they mentioned that he looked just like his daddy, and I had my mom whisk him away, before Tyler realized they were talking about him looking like Edward.

For some reason, Edward stayed right by my side and kept his arm around me or was touching me the whole time. I wanted to be annoyed, I should have pushed him away and kept my distance, but that damn smile, and he smelled so good, and it felt so nice to have him close to me. I just didn't have it in me to push him away. I hated that both my loneliness and my pregnancy hormones were getting the better of me. I worried that my trying not to fall in love with him would be a losing battle.

When the party was finally over and everyone had filed out, Edward and I somehow ended up alone in the living room, with our mothers and son in the kitchen, cleaning up the refreshments. Edward still had his arm around me, and I made no move to pull away. "That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be," he chuckled and smiled down at me.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I wanted him. It would be so easy to throw caution to the wind and give up, to just kiss him, and love him. In that minute, I really wanted him. I must have lost my mind, because next thing I knew, my hands were on his face, and my lips were on his mouth. I could tell he was shocked, but he dove right into the kiss as well.

He pulled back panting and looked scared. "I don't want to mess this up. What do you want from me?"

I didn't answer right away. I just pulled him in for another kiss, because I needed him. I hated it, but it was true.

His arms were tightening, his hands were getting bolder, but he still pulled away. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't know," I said still too scared to confess the truth. I was scared to tell him that I was giving in.

He dropped his forehead to mine. "We need to wait, to take things slow, until we're sure what's going on, Bella. I don't want to lose you and the kids, just because I was a horny bastard and couldn't keep it in my pants."

"I thought you outgrew that?" I taunted.

"I thought I did, too, but then I ran into you," he kissed me again. When our mothers burst into a loud fit of giggles in the other room, we jumped apart. "It's too easy to lose myself in you, Bella. I can't mess this up. Please." His eyes made my insides melt.

I whispered, "I'm scared."

He nodded in understanding, and I wondered if he was scared, too. "Come back to my place, so we can talk privately?" he begged.

I nodded yes, and he helped me off the couch. "Mom, Bella and I need to go to my place to talk. Do you mind keeping an eye on Tyler?" he asked. Esme was quick to agree, and my mother was giggling along with her, shooing us out the door.

Once at his place, he helped me sit on the couch and sat across from me in a chair. I missed his closeness for some insane reason, but I was glad for the distance. If I was going to speak to him with a clear head, it would be best if he wasn't close to me.

"Bella, I'd like to have a relationship with you, but I'm getting mixed signals from you. Can you tell me what's going on with you?" he asked kindly.

I suddenly felt bashful and wondered where my independent personality had gone. I didn't need a man, at least, I hadn't until I met Edward. "I'm afraid you're going to use me just to be close to our kids."

He confused me when he smiled. "I love it when you call them our kids." He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of me. "I'm not using you, Bella. I'm genuinely interested in you."

My brow furrowed. "You shouldn't be. You don't really know me, Edward, and what little you do know of me isn't good. I basically tricked you so I could steal your sperm."

"And you confessed that first thing when we sat down and had a civil conversation. You didn't beat around the bush or try to pull one over on me. You could've played it off as an accident, but you were honest with me."

"Well, it wasn't an accident, and I don't know why you aren't more upset with me."

He shrugged. "I guess it's because I'm excited for the outcome. Bella, do you realize that you haven't once asked me for anything?"

"I asked you to keep your distance, I asked you to not tell Tyler who you were."

"You were trying to protect our son. I'm not ignorant when it comes to deadbeat dads. I had a few friends growing up who had them. I knew what you were trying to protect Tyler from, and that was why I accepted it. I also knew that you'd eventually let me be more involved with him."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because of the way you treated my mother. You didn't allow her to see him begrudgingly; instead, you welcomed her into your lives, and invited her to stay in your home. You treated her like family. I wanted that…want it. You may not think I know you, but I do. You're an honest, kind and loving person, Bella. Heck, you even looked out for me, when I was completely rude and drunk. I knew you were leaving. I think we'd both written off that night, but you stopped me. You proved to me then that you were a good person."

"Then I stole your sperm after I helped you. You don't know that I didn't help you, so I could have my wicked way with you."

He laughed. "You had nothing but disdain on your face for me, until I commented on your boobs. I was trying to piss you off. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. If I hadn't said anything about your breasts, would you have come on to me?"

I shook my head no. "It was obvious that you weren't interested. I was just going to lock your drunk ass in the hotel room, so you could sleep it off."

He grinned so widely. "You went out of your way to make sure I was safe, even though I was a rude jerk. Then when the women at the clinic were after me, you stepped in and saved me again. I wanted what you said that day to be true, so badly. I wanted us to be together, and then when you told Thelma I wasn't gay…I had to have you, Bella. Then you agreed to let me be there for my daughter's birth, even though you were scared. You were so selfless. When you agreed to spend some time in Forks after she was born, I knew I was done for. You're it, Bella. You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman." He moved to sit next to me on the couch. "I know it'll take time for you to trust me. That's my fault, my penance to pay for my bad behavior in the past." He took a deep breath and then unleashed those puppy-eyes on me. "Please give me a chance," he begged and rested his forehead against mine.

I wanted to give in to him so badly. I wanted to believe him and surrender. I knew I was fighting a losing battle, and now as I looked at him, I wondered why I was fighting at all. I reached out and pulled his lips to mine. He let out a relieved sigh and held me tighter. "Please," he begged. "Tell me you want me, too."

I nodded yes, and he let out a happy laugh and pulled me into his lap. "Thank you," he whispered against my neck. I felt it dampen, and when he pulled back, I could see tears in his eyes.

I wiped them with a smile and kissed his lips softly. His smile widened, and he kissed me again. "Thank you," he said one more time. I felt my heart thump. I knew I was doing the right thing, I knew it was a losing battle to fight the way I felt about him, but that didn't mean I wasn't still scared.

"I still want to take things slow," I said, hoping not to disappoint him.

He nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, but…can we be exclusive?"

He actually sounded worried. Did he really think there were guys lining up to date me? "No one is going to whisk me away from you, Edward."

He frowned. "I find that hard to believe, but still, I'd like the commitment. I'd like to be able to tell others I'm taken." He looked bashful.

"Okay," I said, cupping his cheek, so he'd look at me. "We can be exclusive. Are you sure you can handle it?" I said it like I was teasing, but I was actually voicing a real fear of mine.

He quickly pulled me to his lips again. "I'll joyfully handle being taken by you."

I guffawed. "I said slow, Edward. You aren't going to be taken by me for a while," I teased.

His eyes widened. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I know, I'm just teasing you."

He hugged me to him and just held me for a while. I felt so good, so content in his arms.

"Bella, I may have to distance myself a bit, when I first move to Seattle. I want to be sure everything with the women who are out to get me is settled, before I get too close to you. I don't want them to involve you, or heaven forbid, the kids, in the mess I'm sure they have planned for me."

Just like that, he checked one more fear off my list and made me fall a little harder for him. I had a bad feeling that he was right, and I didn't want my kids in the crossfire. "Thank you for wanting to keep us safe."

"Always, Bella, I'll always do everything in my power to protect you and the kids."

It was my turn to hold back tears. I kissed him again, deeply this time. I was annoyed at myself for it, but for some reason, I believed him. I didn't think I was ready, but I was wrong, I finally trusted him.


	14. Chapter 14

Dollybigmomma Beta'd this.

In Love with a Stranger has been nominated for fic of the year and The Cutting Edge has been nominated for fic of the month on TwiFanFictionrecs dot com. Check it out!

Chapter 14** – On Actions, Good and Bad**

Before we headed back to his mother's, I asked Edward for a little snack. I was carelessly resting a bowl of crackers on my belly, when Elizabeth gave it a good kick, launching it across the living room.

"Oh, my heavens, I'm so sorry," I said embarrassed.

Edward was laughing and leaned over to kiss my dancing tummy. "If you're feeling crowded, come out," he taunted our daughter.

"Where's your vacuum? We should get these up before they're ground into the carpet."

"It's in the hall closet," he said, not moving away from my belly.

"Are you going to let me vacuum?"

He looked up at me and smiled. "Normally, I'd say no, but vacuuming is good exercise for your labor muscles and can cause contractions. Now that you're full term, it'd actually be a good idea for you to vacuum." He helped me off the couch, not without some effort.

I waddled to his hall closet and pulled out his vacuum. I saw that the attachment I'd need to get under the couch was on the top shelf, wedged under a box. When I tried to pull it out, the box fell, and several DVD's fell out. I was confused when I saw they had women's names on them and dates written next to them.

They were so dusty that I had a sneezing fit, and Edward came to check if I was alright.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" He carried me to the couch. "Are you alright?" He looked so worried.

Aside from peeing a little from my sneezing fit, I was fine, and I'd taking to wearing pads to keep from making a mess. I just had to use the bathroom to take care of it.

"I'm fine; I just need to use the bathroom." I looked up the hall and saw the DVDs on the floor. "What are those?"

He looked to where I pointed and frowned. He got up and started putting them all back into the box, not answering me.

"Edward, if we're going to be together, you're going to have to give me answers when I ask for them."

He let out a sigh, and instead of putting the box back on the shelf, he brought it over to the coffee table and set it in front of me. "Let me just say, I don't watch these. I never did. I just wanted to cover my bases."

"What are they, Edward?" I was getting worried.

"Do you remember Sabrina, the girl who accused me of rape?"

I nodded yes.

"Well, I came up with a plan to keep that from happening again."

My face paled. That was a lot of DVDs, and from what I could tell, there were a lot of different names on them. "You recorded all of them?"

"Just for defense, I swear, I've never watched them, and I've never let anyone else look at them. Hell, only Emmett knows about it, and you. I just didn't ever want to be accused of rape again, and I knew if I had recorded proof, no one could ever hurt my family like that again."

I sat there stunned, not sure what to think. I wanted to believe him. The box was dusty. It was obvious that he hadn't been watching them…well, not lately, anyway.

"Bella, please, say something." He looked sick. I needed to put him out of his misery.

"Do you have me in there?" I asked curious.

His brow furrowed, but he nodded yes and started flipping through the box. He pulled it out and handed it to me. There were five other names on the DVD next to mine. I was number two.

"Can we watch it?" I was curious about how much effort he put into the recording. Did he take into account camera angle and lighting?

"Are you serious?"

"Just mine, please, put it on. I think I have a right to see what's on it." I wasn't backing down.

He took it from me hesitantly and put it in his player. I was surprised when a chapter menu came up with names. I was glad I wouldn't have to watch him fast forward through him screwing another girl.

_The first shot was of him opening a drawer by the camera, getting a condom. I was tempted to freeze-frame it and see if you could tell it was faulty by looking at the package. You could tell he glanced at the camera once more before he turned away from it. "I'm going to lock the door. Is that alright?" he had asked. I nodded yes and started pulling off my shirt. I started giggling when I got tangled in it. _

"_I think I'm buzzed."_

_He helped me with my shirt and lay down next to me. "We can't do anything if you're drunk." He didn't sound disappointed, he was just stating a fact. _

"_Just give me a minute, it'll go away," I said, pulling him down to kiss me._

"_Let me get you some water. It'll help sober you up." He grabbed a bottle from a little mini fridge. _

"I'm missing my earring. I must have lost it in my shirt!" I pointed out. "Rewind it real quick."

Edward looked at me like I was nuts, but did as I said. "See, I have it on when I walk in, then I get lost in my shirt and it's gone. I knew I'd lost it in your room," I said smugly.

He laughed and sat down next to me, relaxing a bit. We watched as Edward on the screen did his best to sober me up. I wasn't really drunk. I had walked fine when I entered the room, and I wasn't slurring. He asked me several times how I was feeling, and I was getting frustrated with him, because he wasn't doing what I wanted.

"I didn't remember you being so pushy," Edward laughed next to me.

I shrugged, trying to think of a comeback, but was quickly distracted by college Edward's naked body. I was suddenly very hot and bothered, and I noticed Edward shifting next to me uncomfortably, as he watched his college self toss my panties over his shoulder.

He cleared his throat and tugged a little on his pants. "Are you finished, have you seen enough?" he asked.

Of course, his pulling on his pants made me look down, and my eyes went wide. Edward was very hard, and his jeans were obviously too tight, hence him pulling on them, hoping for more room. When I looked up at his face, he looked nervous. For some odd reason, I laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't know," and I didn't. Our eyes locked and next thing I knew, we were kissing. Things were getting intense between us fast, and the wild sex soundtrack going on in the background didn't help matters, either.

"Slow," he groaned, "Bella, slow," he said, trying to remind me what we had agreed upon, but I wanted to see what he was packing. He stuttered, unable to chasten me anymore, once I got my hands on him. It was just over his pants, but it was enough to stop his complaining.

I didn't fully understand why my touching him was turning me on more. I ended up on my back with him arched awkwardly over me. We weren't in that position long, before Elizabeth kicked into my lungs and up at her daddy. I groaned and pushed up, when I realized he didn't know it was not a moan of pleasure, but a groan of being uncomfortable and struggling to breathe.

He was off me in a flash and apologizing. When he saw I was trying to get up, he quickly helped me. I stood and did my best to push my daughter down and stretch up. "I'll be so happy to get my lung space back."

Edward was looking at me bashfully. It seemed so odd to see this version of Edward, with naughty college boy Edward playing in the background. Of course, when I looked at the video, the sex was over. Unbeknownst to me, Edward had just laid their next to me, playing with my hair while I slept. I watched as he did that for a bit, and then he caressed my cheek and kissed my head before settling in to sleep himself. Maybe that Edward wasn't as asshole-ish as I had originally thought. He obviously was damaged, but when in the presence of a non-threatening woman, i.e. a sleeping one, he could seem sweet.

When it was time to go home on Sunday evening, Edward packed up a bag for himself as well. We had decided it would be a good idea for him to stay with me, while we waited for the baby to come. He'd basically be living with me, and I wondered how well that'd go.

I was also worried about taking things slow. My hormones didn't always agree with the speed at which we were moving, and I was pretty sure running into Edward only wearing a towel after a shower would send me over the edge, and I'd beg him to stay with me in my room, instead of in Tyler's on the twin bed. I wasn't sure if I was hoping that would or wouldn't happen.

My only hope of retaining any sanity would be to go into labor quickly and get my hot boyfriend out of my house. I smiled like a giddy fool thinking about the word boyfriend. It was crazy to think of Edward as my boyfriend, but that was exactly what he was. We were "exclusive" at his insistence, and I was loving it.

Tyler was enamored with Edward. He called Edward, Mr. Edward, or "Mista Ewar." I watched as Tyler pulled Edward down the hall to his bedroom, chattering away, and Edward listened with rapt attention.

I gave them a few minutes, before I went to enforce bedtime. Edward had Tyler curled up on the bed next to him, as he read him a bedtime story. He made different voices for each character. Edward really was a natural.

Over the next few days, I was really beginning to enjoy co-parenting. It was great that Edward was there to help with snacks and diapers. Edward talked to Tyler about the potty as well. Having a man around to teach a boy to pee was great. Tyler seemed to be getting the hang of it, once Edward bought him a little stepstool so he could pee in the big potty.

I truly appreciated him, when I heard Tyler cry at 2:00am. I got up to check on him, only to find Edward already cradling him. "I've got him. Do you have some pain reliever? I think he has an ear ache. I saw him tug on it a few times today."

I brought him the medicine, and Edward coaxed Tyler into taking it easily. Then he went and sat in the living room in the rocking chair with him. "I've got him, babe, go ahead and go back to bed. You need your rest." Edward dismissed me, and I gave both my boys a kiss, before I went back to my room.

The next morning, I walked into the living room to find Edward stretched out in the recliner and Tyler sleeping on his chest. After snapping a picture of the adorable scene on my phone, I decided to call Dr. Coust and get Tyler in for an appointment, so Edward wouldn't lose another night of sleep. I was able to get one for later that morning.

I started breakfast as quietly as possible. It was only the sizzling of bacon that woke Edward up. He looked over at me sleepy-eyed from the chair. I knew he wasn't moving, because he didn't want to disturb Tyler.

"I made an appointment for Tyler this morning."

"Good idea," he said and yawned.

"Was he up a lot?" I asked cringing.

"No, not really. He seemed to fuss every time I went to stand up, though, so I decided the chair was comfortable enough. It's no worse than the beds in the on-call room."

I set out breakfast, and Edward carried a half-asleep Tyler to the table. He stayed cuddled in his daddy's lap with no intension of moving. I ate quickly then dressed. I had clothes for Tyler, but he didn't want to leave Edward, so he happily dressed him. I was finally able to coax Tyler into my arms, so Edward could get dressed.

When Edward came out, I realized we all had on tan shirts and dark blue jeans. We looked like a happy family getting ready for a portrait.

Edward drove us to the clinic, and I wondered if Melissa would be working there. Edward held the door open for me and kept his hand on the small of my back, as we walked to the check-in counter. Tyler was snuggled into Edward's neck. His lack of enthusiasm at being at my work really proved how badly he was feeling. I heard Tyler whimper a little, and Edward started rocking him in his arms and rubbing his little back.

"Why don't you go sit down, I can finish checking him in," I suggested.

"Okay," Edward said and leaned down, giving me a peck on the lips. With Edward no longer distracting me, I noticed Melissa standing off to the side watching me.

"Was there something you needed?" I asked her.

She came forward and quickly whispered, "How well do you know Edward Cullen?"

"He's the father to both my kids, and we're in an exclusive relationship."

"Like, for real?"

I pushed my belly down again and nodded. "I met Edward when I was in college."

"No way," she gasped cutting me off, "And you're still with him? He's such a-"

"Good father," it was my turn to cut her off. "He's grown up and changed a lot since he was in school. I think most people do change after they get out of school, haven't you?" I asked.

She frowned and picked at her fingernails.

"Melissa, do you know who it is that's going after him?" I asked.

Her eyes darted over to Edward, where he was cuddling Tyler and reading him a book. "I don't know for sure. It was like some sort of corporation or something. I had a link to a webpage of firsthand accounts of his bad behavior. Someone had looked me up on the school website and sent me the link. I was later contacted and asked if I was interested in adding my story and being part of a revenge plot. I said no. He was an ass, and I thought he was a jerk, but I'm not a psycho."

"Did you take a picture of him and Tyler when we were here last?" I had to know.

"Yeah, I'd called my sister, and she didn't believe me. I took a picture, and she thought it was wild that he was holding a kid. I guess he was very anti-family back in the day."

"He's definitely not anti-family anymore," I said rubbing my belly. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't share that picture with anyone else. We know someone is out to get Edward, and we don't want them to involve the children in their plan of revenge."

"No, of course, I understand." She quickly pulled out her phone, and I asked her to text me the picture before she deleted it. There was no reason why I shouldn't have a picture of my two favorite boys. I thanked Melissa and asked her to keep an ear out for anything concerning Edward. I hoped with her on our side, we could put a stop to whatever evil plot might be brewing, before it could come to fruition.


	15. Chapter 15

Dollybigmomma Beta'd this.

Please donate to fandom for Domie and Fandom for Autism. Links on my profile. Sorry for the delay, you will get a bonus chapter as a Valentine's gift tomorrow!

Chapter 15 – insights

When I was leaving the exam room, Melissa caught up with me and gave me a paper with the website on it. I didn't know what I'd see when I got home, but I was anxious to check it out. I put in the web address, and a black screen popped up, asking for my name, email address and the year I had graduated from college. I thought it was weird. After I entered the information, a note was on the screen saying that I'd get an invite to the website in my email if my information was approved.

After dinner, Edward took Tyler to get ready for bed, and I checked my email again. I had checked it several times throughout the day, and I was sure they'd decided I wasn't invited. I was sure somehow word had gotten out that I was with Edward.

"Finally!" I lamented, when I saw my invite.

"Finally what?" Edward asked, peeking into my room.

"Finally, we can get some answers. This is an invite to the exclusive Edward hater's website," I said pointing to my screen and then clicked it.

I quickly set up my profile and was then directed to a "Support Group" page. On it were several different stories about Edward. He grabbed a chair from the dinner table and sat down next to me, so he could read along.

"That's Sabrina!" he said pointing to one of the earlier stories. "At least, I think it is. It sounds very similar to what she told police when she filed the report. Of course, it's all lies."

"That one sounds like Tanya," I said pointing to the next one.

"How on Earth did they even find each other?" Edward asked dumbfounded. "They live in completely different parts of the country!"

"I don't know, but it's not looking good." We went on to read seven other stories from random girls.

"These last three sounds like the ones who came after me when I lived in Forks. I'm sure my lawyer can get this site closed, because at least four of these testimonies have been proven legally false."

"Don't get him on this site yet. I want to poke around and see if they'll let me in on their plan."

Edward looked at me worried, liked I'd actively help someone take him down.

"I'm spying, Edward, we need someone on the inside, so we can be ready for them when and if they attack. We've identified five of these women as Tanya, Sabrina and then the three who came after you in Forks, so that leaves four unknown women. They're mostly likely next in line to attack you. Does anything in their stories ring a bell?" I asked him.

He shook his head no. "The last three women completely fabricated their stories, and these four women must've done the same. You're the only one I've been sexually active with since I became an MD. If it was some story about me being with them while we were in college, I'd probably be able to find out who they were, if I could figure out a date."

"You'd dig through your porn for them?"

"The dates are listed on the CD, Bella, I wouldn't have to watch them."

"How about I just ask them if they knew you in college and when they were with you then? There's a comment section."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," he said nervously. I could tell the whole idea of the site put him on edge.

I posted a quick comment that said I'd gone to college with Edward, and he'd given me Chlamydia. I asked them about when they had been with him and suggested they get tested, as it could lead to infertility. It was a great cover and would give me a good legitimate reason to "hate" Edward. I hoped it'd be enough to get me invited to take part in their scheme.

I was asked to write a notice in the blog about my STD and quickly got to it. It wasn't much later that I had several comments on the post, giving me approximate dates that they had been with Edward, some were even exact. I asked Edward if he remembered when we'd been together, and I was surprised when he gave me an exact date.

"I looked it up when I was still trying to figure out if Tyler was mine."

"And you didn't watch the movie?" I teased.

He shook his head no. "I have a little black book in a box back home with names and dates."

"Do you have stars or points next to their names?" I wondered.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Why would I do that?"

"So you'd know who was good in bed." I thought it'd be obvious.

"I'm a guy, it all feels good. If my dick got off, I was happy," he said bluntly.

I sat gape-mouthed.

He laughed. "Surely you knew that already, Bella. I wasn't picky."

"You can at least pretend to-"

"What's the point in lying? You already know who I was, Bella. I hope you also know that's not who I am anymore."

I gave him a reassuring smile and kissed his lips lightly. "I know that's not how you are anymore. You're a good man, and these women are insane to still be upset over something that happened so long ago, that they consented to. This is ridiculous."

He pulled me into a tight hug, and I snuggled into him a little more. I had finally accepted the fact that I loved when he held me. I knew it wasn't going to go away, either, so I decided to embrace it. I giggled at my little pun.

"What has you giggling? Are you thinking of something dirty?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, I was just thinking of how much I like it when you hold me," I confessed.

"How about kissing?"

"I like that, too," I barely finished the phrase, before his lips were on mine. The kiss deepened and became a little wild, and I worried things would get out of hand. We were in my bedroom, next to my bed. Before I could really mentally debate the pros and cons of taking Edward to bed, he was pulling away from me.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

When he left the room, I was a little disappointed and realized I was probably ready for our relationship to move forward a bit more.

I readied for bed myself, and when I heard him step out of the bathroom, I opened my bedroom door and called to him. "Edward?"

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded yes, and he took a few steps closer to me, trying to figure out what I wanted from him. I hoped he'd let me know once he figured it out, because I didn't know what I wanted from him, either.

"Did you need something?"

I opened my bedroom door a little wider. "Do you mind sleeping in here with me?" I finally got up the nerve to speak.

He took two big steps and pulled me into his arms. I was quick to kiss him and get lost in him. It wasn't long before we were on the bed, and I nearly groaned out loud, when he started to slow down. "Do you want me to just hold you tonight?" he asked panting.

I was about to say no, but somehow my brain kicked in and said yes.

"Okay, I can do that." He scooted a little ways away from me and readjusted our positions on the bed to a more innocent one. I wondered how long I'd be able to hold myself back.

The answer was four hours. I woke up to Edward kissing me. "Baby, please, you've got to move your hand," he begged. It had somehow ended up in his boxers, holding him tightly. I had a choice, release him or jack him off.

"Bella," he groaned, his eyes were pleading with me.

As soon as my hand started moving, he thanked me and went back to kissing me. His hand dipped and reciprocated, and it didn't take long for him to have me begging him for more.

"Are you sure?" he asked before going any further.

I nodded yes.

"I mean it, Bella, you can say no, and I won't be mad." Of course, he said that while rocking against me. The boy was dying to be admitted.

"I said yes. Are you worried you're gonna knock me up or something?" I teased.

"No," he answered with a plunge and a moan of relief. Sex while nine months pregnant was awkward, but Edward didn't let that stop him. His eagerness and enthusiasm made up for it.

I woke the next morning to laughing. Edward and Tyler were somewhere in the apartment playing. I readied for the day and then found them cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Tyler cheered excitedly.

Edward's welcoming smile melted my heart. I wanted to see that every morning.

"Good morning, beautiful. Did you rest well?" he asked and pulled me into his arms for a hug and rubbed my belly.

"I wouldn't say I had a restful night, but it was a good one," I taunted.

He smirked and gave my backside a swat and then sent Tyler and me to set the table for breakfast.

Around lunch, I received an email asking if I wanted to confront Edward about his blatant disregard for my health and the health of others when he had given me a STD, he didn't report or notify anyone else that he'd had it, and he had continued to knowingly spread it.

I quickly answered yes and was sent a link to a medical board. I felt sick to my stomach, when I saw what it was.

"Edward," I tried calling for him. I wasn't sure if he heard me. Luckily, my apartment was small, and he came and checked on me.

"Hey, babe, are you okay?" I must have looked as bad as I felt, because Edward grabbed my wrist and checked my heart rate.

"Look," I pointed at the screen.

He read over what was written and frowned.

"Edward, what if they're telling people to send complaints to the medical board?"

"I'll just have to deal with them as they come in."

"I shouldn't have told them you gave me a STD. What if they all file complaints? Edward, I'm so sorry." I was in tears, and he hugged me into his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. I think I should contact my lawyer, though. Do you mind if we use your login information so he can look at it?"

"No, go ahead. That was why I made the account in the first place."

"Thank you." He kissed me lightly and then walked out of the room, talking on the phone.

Tyler was quick to find me and roped me into playing cars. Basically, he drove his car all over my belly and laughed when his sister would kick at it.

Edward came back smiling, which surprised me. "I've spoken with my lawyer, and he said that I'd taken preventative measures by using protection, negating any action they may want to take against me. There are only four women who were put at risk, and one of them was the one who'd gave me the STD. If any of those come forward to complain about the STD, then I'll know where I actually got it from. I was never aware that I'd been infected, most likely because I was treated for something else, and the antibiotic I'd used knocked out the Chlamydia as well, making my medical screenings come back clean. If they try and bring that before the board, I only have to provide my proof of medical screening to be cleared of any wrongdoing," he said relieved.

I hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank heavens."

I snuggled with him on the couch, and Tyler drove his car over the both of us.

"Jasper's looking into the website stories. He doesn't think there'll be a problem with getting the sight shut down. I asked him to push for mandatory counseling for the website administrators and slanderous members. As long as they're crazy, they'll be a risk."

"I hope it works." I truly did. If we could get those women to leave Edward alone, once and for all, then it'd finally be safe to really be together.


	16. Chapter 16

Dollybigmomma Beta'd this.

Please donate to fandom for Domie and Fandom for Autism. Links on my profile.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chapter 16- Daddy

Over the next few days, Edward spent every moment proving he was a good father, holding, talking and playing with Tyler. It was obvious he cherished each and every moment he had with his son, and Tyler was very much attached to Edward. It was going to be hard for him to let go of his father when it was time for him to leave.

Edward had been staying with us for a week, when the time finally came. Edward was reading Tyler a bedtime story, when I knocked on the door, trying to be nonchalant. There was no hiding it from Edward, though. He picked up on my stance and could tell my tummy was tight with a contraction. "Hey, Tyler, I think you should have a sleepover at Grandpa Charlie's, doesn't that sound fun?"

He picked up the backpack we had ready for Tyler, and he quickly grabbed my bag out of the closet. He wrapped his arm around my waist and paused when the contractions hit. They were about eight minutes apart, and I had two as we made our way to the car. He was cool and collected, when he pulled up to my parents' house. He carried our son up the front steps, not bothering to knock. Moments later, he came out, my mom hot on his tail. She jumped into the back seat and reached around to hold my hand. "How are you doing, honey?"

"Alright, they aren't too hard yet, just frequent."

I was surprised when Edward's hand rubbed down my belly to my pelvic bone, which he really had to kind of dig into an intimate place to get to. It was very awkward with my mom holding my hand. "She hasn't dropped yet," he answered, ignoring my unease.

I realized as we pulled up that I'd been so distracted with Edward and Tyler's bonding, that I'd forgotten to change doctors. Once they settled me into a room, Edward asked who was on call. He tensed and frowned when he heard Dr. Hunter's name.

I was surprised when he cursed under his breath and then quickly started opening cabinets and plugging in machines. He had me hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and a machine to measure my contractions, all before Dr. Hunter came into the room.

"Dr. Cullen," he said Edward's name with a bit of respect and disdain at the same time, if that was even possible, "I see you've got my patient hooked up to every machine possible. Can you tell me what your interest is in Ms. Swan?"

"She's carrying my daughter," Edward gritted out.

Dr. Hunter didn't say another word, just snapped on his gloves and moved to check me, somewhat roughly inserting his fingers into me. I blushed when Edward moved down there to watch as he did. It was weird, having him look at me down there, with my mom in the room. To his credit, his expression stayed serious and doctor-like.

"She's at a two," Dr. Hunter stood up and left, not saying another word.

Once the door was shut, Edward grabbed his own pair of gloves. "That's bullshit," he grumbled and slid between my legs, before I could put them down. My eyes about popped out of my head, when he decided to check me himself. I was sure my mother would say something, but she just held my hand, like it was perfectly normal for Edward to have his hand in my cooch. To his credit, he was much gentler. "That son of a bitch, you're a loose five. If you want an epidural, he should be ordering it now, so they can get it down here by the time you're a six. By the pattern of your contractions, your labor is further along than he cared to acknowledge. What did you want to do for pain management?"

Edward seemed to be in complete control and ready to do whatever I needed.

"I'd like an epidural. The pain isn't too bad, but from what I remember, it gets worse fast."

He nodded and stepped out the door without another word. As he was coming back in, I could hear Dr. Hunter snarl, as he slapped something down on what sounded like a clipboard.

Edward went straight to the machines, looking them over. "The anesthesiologist is on his way. How are you feeling?"

My mother helped me count through more breathing, before I answered, "I'm hanging in there."

He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Do you want to hold my hand?"

His insecurity was so damn cute. I reached out and took his hand. The smile that lit up his face was sweet. He didn't interrupt my mother helping me, but would rub the back of my hand when the contractions hit, as if he was encouraging me.

When it was time for the epidural, he moved right up against me, taking me in his arms. My body relaxed, as if relieved he was holding me. Once everything was in place, he helped me lay back down.

Edward seemed focused on the baby's heart monitor. It was after an hour of watching it that he slipped out the door and came back with an ultrasound machine.

He took a few pictures and finally looked up at me. I think he was surprised I hadn't said anything about it. "We need to shift her. She's a little tangled and has turned herself some. Since your water hasn't broken, we have a little more space to work with. Do you mind?" He held his hands above my belly. Something about his demeanor screamed that he knew what he was doing, and I trusted him implicitly.

"Go ahead."

He shifted my belly around, and then I got a good kick in my lungs. He smiled and pulled the machine back over. "I think we've got her straightened out." He took another look and smiled. "There, there, little girl, I'm glad you decided to help us out here."

A few minutes later, Dr. Hunter strolled in and glared at the ultrasound machine. "That isn't for you to play with."

"If you and your damn nurses had been paying attention, you would've noticed the baby's heartbeat was dropping with each contraction, and she'd shifted so she was in the wrong position. You still don't know how to do your damn job, James. I won't let my daughter suffer for it. If you mess this up, I'll have your medical license, and then your head. You can't claim that I'm ignorant to what really happened. I'll catch and testify to every misstep."

Dr. Hunter snapped on a glove and went to check me, being rough again. "You're fully dilated. You need to push."

Edward shoved James out of the way, popping on a glove of his own. "That's bullshit. Don't push unless you feel the need." His hand gently slipped inside me. "You're a loose eight, almost a nine, but not quite, almost there. Don't push yet, or you might tear yourself." He glared at Dr. Hunter.

"Nine and ten are relative terms."

"You thought she was a two, when she was a damn five! You're telling her to push before her body's ready. She's at eight, James! You could've ruined her chances at having more children. She doesn't feel the need to push yet. They should never push before the transition!"

While they were arguing, my water broke. Dr. Hunter jumped away like he was being attacked. Edward just stood there, like having fluid gush at him was perfectly normal. The difference between the two was astounding. I didn't know why I hadn't notice my doctor sucked until now. "How are you doing, honey?" Edward asked me, settling his hand on my belly. I had a feeling he wasn't just setting it there to comfort me.

"I'm hanging in."

"Alright, good job," he praised after another contraction hit. "This is her second delivery, James. You should get the nurses in here setting up. She'll be ready to push soon." Dr. Hunter huffed and stalked out of the room.

It was five contractions later that I felt the change. "Edward, I think it's time to push."

A nurse was in the room when I had said that and left to go get Dr. Hunter. I sort of wished she hadn't.

He strode in like he owned the place. He wasn't going to check me until Edward glared at him. "Just get out of the way." Edward checked me himself and nodded to me. "You're good to go." He stayed right next to Dr. Hunter, watching his every move, glancing at the heart monitor during each contraction. I was surprised when I heard a metal clang, but not when Edward snapped.

"There's no way in hell you're using forceps on my baby! It's obvious the cord is wrapped around her neck."

Dr. Hunter gave Edward a wicked look, but it didn't stop Edward. He shoved Dr. Hunter out of the way. "You're not risking my baby with your stupidity." His hand was up in me, his other pressing and feeling around on my tummy. "I don't know how the hell you got your degree, Hunter, but you should do the world a favor and quit practicing," Edward continued to gripe. When the next contraction hit, he nodded to me, "I've got her, Bella, go ahead and give it all you've got."

A half hour later, I knew I'd done it, when I saw Edward looking down with a big smile. "There's my girl. Daddy's got you. Just hold on a minute, Bella. Let me clear out her nose and turn her. There we go. Time to meet mommy. Go ahead, we're ready," he said with a big smile.

One more hard push and my daughter let out a cry, as Edward moved her up to my chest. "Can you hold on to her for a minute? I need to cut the cord."

"I've got her."

He went about setting the clamps and cut the cord with a huge smile. "We need to pass her over to the nurse for a bit, but we'll get her right back." He picked up my hand and kissed it.

He had left Dr. Hunter to deliver the placenta. He was pressing down on my stomach as each contraction hit. By the fourth one, he let out a huff and started to pull, giving it a little jerk. I think Edward shocked us all when he outright decked Dr. Hunter in the face. "You never yank, you stupid son of a bitch!"

"Fuck you! If you're such a know-it-all, then do it yourself. This piece of shit ain't coming out, and I've gotta date."

The nurses in the room with us actually gasped, which made me feel a whole lot better about Dr. Hunter being kicked out. One of them actually helped Edward put a pair of gloves on. "You _are_ a doctor, right?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, I went to school with James. How the hell he still has his license, I'll never know, but I'm an obstetrician." His hand went about massaging my belly a little differently. "I'm gonna need you to push some more. We aren't done yet."

I nodded, and a few moments later, he had it out and was checking it thoroughly, while I rested and shivered under the heated blanket.

"Hey, Bella, how are you doing?" Dr. Coust asked, as she brought my daughter to my bedside. She wasn't just my employer, but the pediatrician for my children.

"I'm doing fine, thank heavens Edward was here."

"I couldn't agree more. You need to report Dr. Hunter. I was only in here for a short amount of time, and even with what I know about delivering a baby, I knew he was going about it all wrong. He shouldn't be practicing." She was dead serious, and I knew between her and Edward, Dr. Hunter would most likely lose his license.

"I agree. Would you mind testifying with me against him?" Edward asked her.

"Of course," she played with little Elizabeth's hair. "There were so many variables that could've really hurt her and Bella. You did great, Edward."

"Thank you. It's actually my job back home," he smirked.

"Well, we were lucky to have you on hand to save us all a bunch of heartache."

Esme arrived with my father and little Tyler. I guess Carlisle was out of town again. "She's beautiful," Esme gushed, as I tried to stay awake.

Tyler seemed nervous and tried to get on the bed. Edward helped him up next to me, kissing his head. "How does it feel to be a big brother?" he asked him. Tyler frowned. "Don't worry, buddy, you'll get the hang of it. Do you want a turn holding your sister?"

Edward brought her over for him and gently laid her in mine and Tyler's arms.

"Be-be!" His little cheeks lit up with a smile.

"Yeah, that's your baby, Tyler. Do you like her?" I asked.

He nodded yes.

"I'm glad, Mommy's got to stay here a while more, but you can go home with Daddy. I'll be home soon," I promised. I kissed his little head and then looked around; trying to figure out what had everyone stunned.

"Daddy?" Tyler looked up at Edward, and I realized my slip.

Edward's eyes were pleading with me not to correct myself.

"Yes, honey, Edward's your daddy."

He started to push the baby out of his arms and reached for Edward, who happily took him. Our mothers were in tears, and the way he hugged our son so desperately, led me to believe he was as well. I was finally beginning to see all the damage I had done by pushing Edward away from us. He was right, Tyler needed his daddy, and it was about time I gave him one.


	17. Chapter 17

**Dollybigmomma beta'd this midnight mess. Thank you!**

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**Chapter 17 – Juggling Act**

Tyler wouldn't let Edward put him down, and the sweet man he was, he indulged his son. There were a lot of changes going on in Tyler's life. A new baby had been stealing the focus. I worried about how he would adjust to having a new baby in the house, but I was sure with Edward around, he'd help us all get settled.

They arrived early the next morning to visit with me and to see the baby. I wouldn't be going home until a little after dinnertime. Tyler was holding a new book called _My New Baby_. Edward set him next to me on the bed and gave me a quick chaste kiss. Elizabeth was asleep in her clear bassinet, and Edward was quickly drawn to her.

I watched as he hovered over her, intent on watching her sleep. Tyler pushed his book in my face, so I opened it and started to read it. We were halfway through it, when Edward announced, "She moved, she's awake!" He pointed to where her little arm had shifted. He was looking to me, I guess for permission.

"She's your daughter, Edward, you can hold her if you want. I doubt she's really awake, though."

He looked anxious. "But my mom said not to wake a baby, ever."

"As long as you're willing to help deal with the consequences, I'm okay with you picking her up."

His smile was huge, and he dove right in, gently cradling his daughter in his arms. Tyler was quick to pull my attention back to him. I'd have to watch myself. Between my new feelings for Edward and my instinct to care for my baby, I didn't want Tyler to fall between the cracks. I refocused on cuddling with him while I read, doing my best to ignore the gorgeous man in the corner nuzzling and kissing my baby's head. I did make it through Tyler's book and read it twice more, before Elizabeth woke up for real and wanted to eat.

Edward brought her over to me and traded me kids. I was relieved that Tyler was happy to go to Edward. I wasn't sure how Edward felt about staying in the room while I breast fed, but that was the only way I was feeding Elizabeth at the moment. I was glad that Tyler's book covered it, so he didn't look too confused, when I tucked his sister under a blanket to feed her. Of course, this was the first time I had tried to feed her under a blanket, and it was making it difficult.

Edward saw me struggling and came over to help. "Let me give you a hand," he said, taking the blanket and holding it away from me, but blocking Tyler's view still. Edward looked down at our little milk monster, who I was finally able to get to latch on, once I could see what I was doing. "Are you doing alright?" he asked when I cringed.

"Yeah, it just takes a while to get the hang of things. It'll stop hurting in a week or so."

He frowned, looking down at our daughter. "I wish there was a way I could help."

"You are. Just make sure Tyler doesn't feel left out. I'm worried about him."

We looked over at our son, who had his book out and opened to the page with a picture of a mommy holding a baby under a blanket, feeding it. "I'll be sure to make sure he feels included. We've both been really enjoying my new daddy status."

Edward said it with a big genuine smile, but it gutted me. I held back tears. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He looked slightly panicked.

I cut him off before he could assume the worst. "I'm sorry I kept him from you for so long."

"Hey, don't worry about that. Right now, all that matters is that I'm here, where I'm supposed to be."

I nodded in agreement, and he wiped my tears away.

That night, Tyler insisted that Edward put him to bed, and I settled Elizabeth in her bassinet for her first night home. I took a quick shower and readied for bed. I stepped into the hallway and looked into Tyler's room. Edward was stretched out on the twin bed, looking at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. "Are you coming to bed?" I asked.

He looked over to where Tyler was sleeping in his toddler bed and followed me out into the hallway. "I wasn't sure…"

I took his hand and pulled him to bed. Then I realized he might have wanted to stay with Tyler. "Did you want to stay in his room? I'm sorry I…"

"No, Bella, it's fine." He was so sweet, and my hormones were still a mess.

I burst into tears. "I'm so sorry I kept him from you. You're such a great daddy."

"Hey, hey, settle down. It's okay. I know why you kept him from me, and I wouldn't have always been a great dad. You were trying to protect your son, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm glad you did keep him from me. God, Bella, if you'd come to me and I'd…after what I did to Tanya…I'm so sorry I treated you horribly, but I'm so thankful it kept you away from me. I'm so thankful you had Tyler. Please, don't be upset with yourself. You did what was best for him and protected him, and once you saw that I could be trusted with him, you let me back in his life. You're a great mom. Tyler missing out on any daddy stuff is not on you. That's my fault. I'm just glad he's here, so I can make it up to him."

I looked up at him baffled. I guess he was sure he would've been able to convince me to get an abortion like he had done with Tanya, but that would not have happened. "I wouldn't have ever aborted Tyler, no matter what you'd said to me."

He grimaced and nodded in agreement. "But I might've given you several more reasons to hate me and keep him away from me. There would've been a good chance that I'd have signed away my parental rights. I'm so thankful that didn't happen. I know I would've regretted it horribly. I'm so sorry I wasn't a better person, Bella. Will you ever forgive me?"

I leaned up and kissed his lips lightly. "You've forgiven me, so I'd say we're even."

"Not even close. I've definitely come out on top here, with a hot girlfriend and two amazing kids. I have a feeling we're never gonna be even. I just hope you'll keep me, anyways."

His words were so sweet. I pulled him to my lips again, and he cuddled me closer. "You're definitely a keeper."

He proved it that night, too. As soon as Elizabeth started to fuss, he was picking her up and bringing her to me to feed. He snuggled next to us on the bed while I fed her, and then he took her from me so he could burp and change her before he put her down. He was a regular Mr. Mom. I was sure if he could breast feed, he wouldn't have woken me up at all.

When Tyler came in the next morning, I was ready to get up with him so Edward could sleep. He'd been up with Elizabeth and me three times last night.

"No, Bella, baby, you need your rest. Your body is still healing and trying to feed another person at the same time. Get some sleep while you can. Tyler and I can get breakfast together. We're big boys, right, Tyler?" he asked him.

Tyler flexed his little muscles. "I strong, like daddy." He sounded so proud. Edward scooped him up, beaming with joy at his new name. "That's right, bud. Just like daddy." My son was in good hands, and I was so happy Edward was with us. I must have been more exhausted than I realized, because I fell back asleep rather quickly.

I woke to Tyler's whispers. "Shush, mommy and daddy sleeping," he said quietly but sternly. I opened my eyes to see him standing on a diaper box, looking down at his sister in her bassinet.

"It's okay, Tyler, the baby only cries if something is wrong. She needs me or dad to fix something for her. When she cries, it's important for us to help her."

He looked confused, but let me take her from her little bed. She settled down right away, and I checked her diaper. She was wet, and I was sure, hungry. I looked at the time and saw I'd slept for another two hours. Edward was stretched out on the bed, still in his pjs and fast asleep.

"What are you doing awake all by yourself?" I was surprised Edward decided to nap with Tyler roaming the house awake.

He shrugged. "I waked up. I no need a nap."

"Did daddy put you down for a nap?" I asked him.

He shrugged his little shoulders and looked at the floor. That was Tyler for y_es, but I'm not telling you that._ "Did you nap at all?" I asked.

He shrugged again and then looked up at me. "I not big tired, just a little tired, so I only sleeped a little bit."

Elizabeth was starting to fuss, and I was worried we were going to wake up Edward, so I took the pair of them into the front room to watch TV. I had Tyler curled up in my side while I fed Elizabeth. The three of us were all squished together in the Lazyboy rocking chair. Once I was able to get Elizabeth back to sleep, I decided it was time for just Tyler and mom to be together. I put her down in the bedroom, sure Edward would hear her if she woke, and met Tyler in the kitchen for a snack.

We ate and talked about the TV shows he liked. He talked about Edward and what they played, and then he asked me, "Is daddy gonna stay with us forever?"

The answer was no, but I wanted it to be yes. I could see in Tyler's little face that he wanted it to be yes, too. "He's staying with us for right now, and he's always going to be in your life."

His little brow furrowed. "Is daddy staying?" he asked again.

"He has a job in Forks, remember, we went there. He has a house there, close to his mommy, Maymay."

He didn't look happy, so I tried to appease him. "We're going to go stay with him for a couple of weeks. He's going to stay here with us for as long as he can, and then we're going to go stay there with him for a little while."

"We gonna lived with him?" he asked too excited.

"Yes, for a little while. He has to work, but he wants us close. He loves you."

"We gonna live with my daddy?" he asked again, and I was worried that he wasn't understanding what I was saying. "Is Nana and Grandpa Charlie coming, too?" he asked.

"No, it's just going to be me, you and Elizabeth going to stay at daddy's house. Are you going to be okay with that? Are you going to miss Nana and Grandpa Charlie?" I asked.

"Are you going to work?" he asked eyeing me.

"No, I need to stay home and take care of my body and baby Elizabeth for a while, before I can leave her with Nana and go back to work."

"You stay at daddy's house with me, all day?" he clarified.

"Yeah, I'll be there all day with you and your sister."

"Okay," he said and went back to munching his crackers. I was just glad he wasn't pushing me for an answer about living with Edward or Edward living with us anymore. In truth, I didn't want Edward to leave, but I knew he had a life and a career he'd worked hard for. He had to go back to Forks. I knew he wanted to move to Seattle, and I hoped I'd have the courage to ask him to stay with us permanently when the time came. I didn't want him to move into some apartment across town. I wanted him to live with us, with Tyler and Elizabeth. They needed their daddy, and I needed him, too. I just hoped I'd find a way to tell him that before it was too late.


	18. Chapter 18

**Dollybigmomma beta'd this midnight mess. Thank you!**

**Please go to my profile and follow the links to donate to Fandom for Autism and Fandom for Domie. I'm donating one-shots for both. **

**Chapter 18 - Cannibal**

It was time for Elizabeth's first newborn checkup. Dr. Coust was eagerly awaiting our arrival. Edward carried Tyler on one hip and had Elizabeth in the baby car seat in his other hand. I had the diaper bag. Apparently, that was the only thing that wasn't over the weight limit of what I should be lifting, and even that was questionable according to Edward.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" she asked hugging me.

"I'm doing great. Edward has been a huge help."

"It sure looks like it," Dr. Coust said, smiling at Edward's child-laden form. "Edward, I'd like to speak to you after little Elizabeth's examination about our formal complaint against Dr. Hunter."

"Of course, I'd be happy to."

The examination went great. Our daughter had gained four ounces since leaving the hospital, and I blushed madly when Edward bragged about how great my milk supply was. Of course, it was worth the embarrassment when he realized what it might imply, and he backtracked like a stuttering goof.

"Not that I'm personally feeding, but I've been there while she's nursing, but not there, because the baby is there, and I don't want her breasts, they're great, but not to eat, because I'm not into breast milk or cannibalism…"

Dr. Coust and I burst out laughing at his rambling and his need to clarify that he wasn't a cannibal. We let the poor flustered man off the hook.

Once the examination was finished, we met in her office.

"I've filed my report and spoke with the two nurses who were on duty that night. They're filing along with us. They'd reported to Dr. Hunter that the baby's heartbeat was dropping, but he told them that it was inconsequential and to leave it be. When they tried to push it again with him, he yelled profanities at them and demeaned their intelligence. Apparently, he doesn't work at the hospital that often, so they haven't dealt with him much personally. Needless to say, they were happy to write up a report against him."

"Well, I'm happy to hear the whole hospital staff isn't incompetent."

"Edward, I thought I should let you know, when I filed and the intake reviewer read it and saw your name, they asked about you. Apparently, there are people filing charges against you. I don't know who exactly or over what, but I let them know that I saw you in action, and you did very well."

"I think I know who it is filing."

"Do you think Dr. Hunter is coming after you?"

"No, I believe it's another group. I've already discussed the possibility with my lawyer and have a strategy to get it all dismissed."

"Do you mind if I ask who and what it's about? I know it's not my business, but I consider Bella more than an employee, she's a friend as well."

"No, I don't mind. When I was in college, I was less than honorable. I never forced a woman, but there were many, and they weren't pleased with their treatment afterwards."

Dr. Coust's eyes settled on me. I just shrugged my shoulders. "He was a player and an ass. Thankfully, he's not anymore, but yeah, he was a grade 'A' jackass, and that was why he wasn't involved in Tyler's life until recently."

"It's not the first time they've come after me. I'll be alright," Edward reassured Dr. Coust.

I truly hoped he would. I still felt guilty about starting the whole mess when I joined that website. Edward tried to tell me that it was nice to know what tactics they were using a bit in advance, so he could have a plan ready. He liked not being blindsided by the mess. I just wished the crazy bitches would get a life and leave my man alone.

The next few weeks were quiet. Edward played the perfect father and boyfriend, helping me take care of the kids and myself. Our time together was coming to an end, though, and I wasn't sure how we were going to adjust to him being gone. We hadn't really decided when I'd come down with the kids. He hadn't brought it up and neither had I. I was worried that he hadn't said anything, because he needed a break from me and the kids. I couldn't blame him. We were a lot of work. I tried to make sure he had naps and food, too, but he was the one who did most of the cooking and bringing of drinks and snacks to me, since I was always stuck nursing the baby.

He still kissed me, and we snuggled at night, but I was worried it wasn't enough for him. I was really feeling like a burden.

It was the night before he was supposed to leave. He put Tyler to bed, and I had just gotten Elizabeth to sleep. I readied for bed and went to brush my teeth. Edward was in the bathroom taking a shower, but I didn't think he'd mind me brushing my teeth while he was in there. I had seen him naked before. He had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, when I stepped inside, I saw what he was doing in the shower. I suspected he didn't really want to be observed, and then I got an idea. I could always assist. I had to do something to thank him for taking such good care of me, and my cooch was still out of commission.

I stripped down to nothing and slipped into the shower. He felt the cold air hit him, and he opened his eyes shocked. He looked at me and then to his hand a couple of times and then promptly removed it from himself and held it up as if I had him at gunpoint. He was such a silly goof. I didn't say anything, as he tried to stutter out an excuse. I just dropped to my knees and shut him up.

The shower ended in an impromptu make-out session and body washing. I was dying for him. Of course, being an OB/GYN, he was very strict on following the six-week rule, and I had another week and three days. The problem was that I didn't know if we'd be seeing each other in a week and three days.

I lay next to him on the bed, curled on my side. I had gotten used to him being there and wasn't sure how I was going to deal with being alone in bed. "I'm going to miss you," I confessed.

He kissed the top of my head. "Hopefully not for long. Have you given any thought about when you'll come down to Forks? You still want to come, right?" he asked worried.

"Yeah, I plan on coming. I just don't know when. We hadn't discussed when you'd be ready for us."

He smiled down at me and kissed my lips. "I'm ready when you are. I'd like you to see one of the doctors at my clinic in Forks for your six-week checkup. There's no way I'm letting you see James again."

"Sounds good. You could always examine me yourself," I suggested.

"Nope, because that'd make you my patient, and I can't date patients, it's just not ethical."

"Okay, then who do you suggest?"

"Do you want a man or a woman doctor?"

"I guess a woman if you've got one. It'd be weird to have one of your friends checking out my cooch."

"Good call," he said seriously. "Kate is a great doctor. I think you'll like her. As soon as you know when you're coming down, I'll set up a time for you to meet her."

I didn't want to sound needy, but I wondered if it would be considered too soon to go down to Forks now. Would he let us just hitch a ride with him? I couldn't understand my need to be near him. It was foreign to me, and I wasn't sure I liked it. In the end, I decided that I'd try and distance myself from him. I was a grown woman and had been a single mother before Edward, and I didn't want to become emotionally dependent on anyone.

"Baby," he whispered in my ear. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but it felt like we had just gone to bed minutes ago. I felt him nudge me over a little, and Elizabeth's warm little body squirmed next to me as she started to fuss. It was feeding time again. I shifted my clothes and cuddled her into place. "I have to leave in a few minutes."

I suddenly felt very awake. "Already?" I pouted.

He leaned down and kissed me. "I'll help get Elizabeth back to bed, but I have to get on the road soon, if I'm going to make it to my morning appointments."

I frowned at the clock. It was 4:00am. True to his word, Edward burped Elizabeth and rocked her back to sleep, before he gave me one last kiss goodbye. I didn't know why I felt like crying. I just did, and I hated it the moment he walked out the door. I knew it was going to be a hard day, when Tyler came in looking for Edward and cried when he realized his daddy was gone. I sent a text to Edward, so he could call between patients and talk to Tyler.

Tyler wasn't happy about Edward being gone and decided to pack up his stuff so he could go live with his daddy. I was inclined to agree with him. Elizabeth seemed to feel his loss as well. Edward had spoiled her by always rocking her to sleep after a feeding. I wasn't cutting it. It made for a very hard week. I did my best to sound cheerful and happy, when I spoke to Edward on the phone. I didn't want to be a whiny girlfriend, so I tried to make it sound like we were fine, when really, I felt like the kids were on the verge of staging a revolt against me. I was a disaster and so was the house and kids. My sweet boy had become moody and withdrawn. He didn't know why we weren't at his daddy's house. He didn't understand mommy's need to be independent. It was getting hard for me to understand it as well.

I was looking for my phone and trying to calm a fussy Elizabeth. I needed to talk to Edward. Just hearing his voice could be soothing for both Elizabeth and me, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I called for Tyler, wanting him to help me find it, but he didn't answer me. I was starting to worry and quickly changed my search for my phone to my search for my son. I found him in his closet with my phone, talking to his daddy. I was a crying mess and finally admitted it to myself and Edward. "I need you."

"Tomorrow's Friday, I'll come help you pack some things and bring you to my house as soon as I can get off work. I'm sure Kate won't mind taking my afternoon appointments."

"I'm sorry. You don't have to do that. Don't make Kate take your appointments. I don't want her thinking I'm bad for you and messing up your life."

"She would never think that."

"Just come on Saturday, so she doesn't think I'm a needy loser."

"Bella, she's not going to think you're a needy loser. I'll be there tomorrow evening. I'll ask the receptionist to reschedule my last two appointments. Will that make you feel better?"

"Can you not tell her it's because I'm a mess?"

"Sweetheart, you're not a mess. I wish I was there right now. I hate living so far apart. I need to get the complaints against me handled, so I can find a job in Seattle. No one will hire me while they're pending."

"I'm sorry," I whimpered and started crying. My hormones were a mess. He calmed me down and promised to come as soon as he could. I was surprised when my mother knocked on my door. She'd popped in every once in a while, but usually just asked me to come visit her house.

"Hey, honey, I heard you were having a hard time," she said pulling me into a hug.

"Heard?"

"Edward called. He asked me to give you and the kids a hug from him. He wishes he could come help you out, but asked me to step in and make sure you were getting enough to eat." She pulled me over to the couch and held me in her arms, squishing a fussy Elizabeth between us.

"It's just been a really crappy day. I miss him."

"He is a pretty great guy. I know he misses you guys, too. Didn't you say you were going to go down there after the baby was born?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to leave this weekend."

"Well, it's a good thing I came over to get my baby snuggles in before you go. Why don't I watch these two, and you go have yourself a snack and a shower."

I was in dire need of both and took her up on her offer. I did my best to shave and scrub myself. I wanted to look and smell halfway decent when Edward came back. For once, I actually was looking forward to going to Forks.


End file.
